KARACHI, Aug 29: The people have lost faith in the efficacy of medicines being given to patients in the public-sector hospitals as they are spurious and substandard, purchased from little known pharmaceutical firms.

Expressing its concern over spending of millions of rupees on medical care by the government, the Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly said the situation could only be improved if boards of governors or managing committees were attached to health-care institutions.

The PAC, which met in committee room 1 of the assembly building on Wednesday with its chief, Sardar Jam Tamachi Unnar, in the chair, made this observation while considering audit paras of the health department for the last four financial years — from 2005-06 to 2008-09.

Drugs inspectors despite collecting samples failed to discharge their duty as they dumped the samples of medicines at testing laboratories without pursuing the test reports, which often took three to five months. He suggested that instead of purchasing substandard medicines from unknown pharmaceutical companies, the government spent a little more by purchasing medicines from multi-national companies to restore public confidence.

Mr Tamachi said conditions at Taluka hospitals were worse, where doctors were not available even to handle emergency cases because no doctor liked to serve at Taluka hospitals. After securing their appointment letters, doctors either got themselves transferred to a district hospital or went on long ex-Pakistan leave to seek jobs, practise medicine and secure future positions in government service.

The PAC chief suggested that the department terminate services of all such doctors who went abroad on long leave and provide an opportunity to other doctors willing to serve suffering people at Taluka hospitals.

He also stressed the need to formulate a policy for the appointment of doctors that they would not seek transfers or postings to any other place before completing five years at the place of their appointment.

Similarly, he suggested, in the managing committees besides government functionaries philanthropists and social workers also be inducted to help improve the working of the hospitals.

Mr Tamachi also pointed to the wastage of money on purchasing sophisticated equipment for setting up trauma centres and dumping it in towns where doctors were not available to handle the gadgets.

PAC member Aamir Moin Pirzada suggested that for purchasing drugs from MNCs, the tendering procedure be changed.

Shama Mithani suggested the government appoint a pharmacist in every hospital to ensure supplies of quality medicines.

Deputy secretary for health Imdad Ali Shah said Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had approved a new policy for recruitment of doctors by which it would be obligatory on doctors applying for posting to any vacant position in the hospital to serve at the hospital of their appointment at least for five years.

The doctors who would be recruited would not only be disallowed transfers, but would also be barred from taking long leave until the completion of their obligatory five-year service.

Health secretary Aftab Ahmad Khatri assured the committee that the observation made by the PAC would be given due consideration. He also said that due care would be taken to satisfy the audit for settling the deferred paras before the next PAC meeting.

Earlier the PAC settled 10 of a total of 25 deferred paras involving financial indiscipline of over Rs689 million. Of the 10 paras settled on Wednesday, two pertained to the year 2006-07, seven to 2007-08 and one para to 2008-09. The total amount of the 10 paras settled involved Rs298.607 million.