LAHORE, Nov 21: The Punjab health secretary constituted a committee to re-probe the alleged misappropriation of 10 million syringes from its warehouse, it was learnt on Wednesday.

Lahore Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Riaz Chaudhry and Mother and Child Health director Dr Shaheena Manzoor constitute the committee. They have been asked to conduct the inquiry on day-to-day basis and submit report within two weeks.

When contacted, Punjab Health Services Director-General Dr Yaqoob Jaffar said the directorate had received the report a few months ago that a large of number of syringes were ‘misappropriated’ last year.

Dr Jaffar said that he himself organized a confidential inquiry and later got the stocks physically verified.

Later, the directorate directed Lahore EDO (Health) Dr Riaz Chaudhry and Government Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases (GHPD) medical superintendent Dr Afzal Shaheen to conduct the inquiry.

Meanwhile, the health department appointed Lahore division health services former director Dr Anwaar Ahmad Bugvi who after conducting an inquiry reportedly held a former director-general of the Punjab health services responsible. The findings were not accepted by the health department.

Now the health secretary has directed Dr Riaz Chaudhry and Dr Shaheena Manzoor to conduct the inquiry.

Dr Yaqoob Jaffar told Dawn that the directorate had collected physical verification reports from all districts. Government Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases MS Dr Afzal Shaheen, Government Nawaz Sharif Hospital, Yakki Gate, MS Dr Ishaq and Lahore General Hospital Principal Medical Officer Dr Awan scrutinized the reports and examined the record of the warehouse.

The DG said the scrutiny committee reported that syringes were not received in many districts. However, a random checking of districts reports showed that many districts had not sent correct reports.

Answering a question, Dr Jaffar said the syringes should had been sent directly to the districts from the warehouse instead of transporting them to the directorate office. “The decision to transport the syringes to the directorate office was not correct,” he said.

Health department’s warehouse store-keeper Taj Khan has been terminated from service and the expanded programme of immunization director has been asked to get an FIR registered against him with the anti-corruption department.

Punjab health secretary Hasan Waseem Afzal said all officials of his department found involved in the misappropriation would be taken to the task.