LAYYAH, March 12: Health Department officials have allegedly embezzled cooking oil supplied under the World Food Programme (WFP) for pregnant women.

The WFP supplied cooking oil to the Health Department in five-kg canes which was to be supplied to 20 hospitals, including 18 basic health units. Lady health visitors (LHVs) are to dish out the oil to poor pregnant women.

On Monday night, Lohanch Nashaib residents saw a three-wheeler laden with cooking oil canes. They signaled the driver to stop the vehicle but he sped away. The residents, however, chased it and found the vehicle parked alongside the road while the driver and his accomplices had fled. Police arrived at the scene and confiscated 22 canes of cooking oil and the three-wheeler.

Saddar police station registered a case against unidentified accused for stealing 109 canes and an electric stabiliser on the report of Shafqat Nasreen, Lohanch Nashaib LHV.

District Health Officer Dr Muzaffar Awan said around 109 cooking oil canes were stolen as reported by the LHV. He added the watchman of the BHU was suspended and an inquiry had been ordered into the issue. Dr Ghulam Mustafa Gillani, deputy district health officer, has appointed the inquiry officer.

Maher Abdul Rehman, Mazhar Husain and Noor Muhammad, of Lohanch Nashaib, told Dawn health officials had been stealing the oil for years. They alleged a few days ago, 30 cartons of cooking oil had been dumped at the residence of one local resident. They demanded the health secretary conduct an inquiry into the matter so that the embezzlement of cooking oil was checked.