MULTAN, Nov 25: The Punjab health authorities have allegedly hushed up a case involving a bungling of Rs4 million in the name of ‘re-payment’ of anti-polio campaign banners under the pretext of re-probe.

As many as 70,000 anti-polio campaign banners were distributed in the Punjab for national immunization days (NIDs) on Dec 27, 1997, and Feb 9, 1998, respectively, by the Second Family Health Project (SFHP) through the health department during the fiscal year 1997-98.

A private firm — M/s Moon Enterprises of Lahore —- provided the banners to the SFHP through a contract number 3461/EPI. A sum of Rs3.57 million was paid for 70,000 banners at the rate of Rs51 per banner. Later, M/s Moon Enterprises was given another contract for supplying 15,400 banners at the rate of Rs55 per banner under a contract number 1157/EPI. This amount was also duly paid to the firm by the SFHP.

Through a letter (No 1758/EPI), then Punjab director-general health services informed divisional and district heads of the health department on Jan 10, 1998, that the SFHP would pay for anti-polio campaign banners.

But, interestingly, the DGHS office issued a letter (No 984/Acctt., dated: 12.5.2000) to subordinate divisional and district offices on behalf of then DGHS Saeed Ahmed Qureshi, directing them to clear the outstanding bills of M/s Moon Enterprises for the supply of anti-polio campaign banners used on national immunization days observed in 1997-98. The offices were told that the firm was pressing very hard for the clearance of its longstanding dues. Therefore, the offices were directed to clear bills out of available funds during the current financial year 1999-2000.

Sources revealed that for except Lahore and Multan, the firm was repaid by all other divisions of the Punjab for anti-polio campaign banners used in 1997-98 for which it had already got payment from the SFHP. Then Lahore and Multan directors of health services were allegedly offered handsome shares by the planners of the scheme for not putting up resistance to them, but they never yielded. Consequently, both the directors were made OSDs and disciplinary actions were initiated against them on fabricated complaints.

An internal inquiry of the health department confirmed irregularities in the payment of anti-polio campaign banners. Besides, another inquiry conducted by an additional director of EPI (expanded programme for immunization) also confirmed that the health department had already paid the firm for the banners used in 1997-98.

The health department authorities were now trying to sweep the matter under the carpet when the issue was unearthed in the press. Then SFHP director Yaqoob Jaffar, currently serving the health department as DGHS, also confirmed that there was to be no reimbursement (of the polio campaign banners).

But the health authorities ordered a re-probe into the matter and appointed Dr Riaz Chaudhry, then DES, Lahore and now EDO (health), to look into the alleged embezzlement. Since then, no one knows the fate of the re-probe.

The sources in the health department said Dr Chaudhry was considered as a ‘suitable’ person by the top deaprtment officials for the job.

Recently, Dr Chaudhry was given a task to re-probe into the case of 10 million syringes worth Rs5 million that went “missing” while being transported to the DGHS office from the central warehouse of the department situated in the Gulberg-III area of the provincial capital.

Earlier, Dr Anwaar Bughvi, a senior health department administrator, had confirmed the misappropriation of the syringes along with other costly cold chain equipment from the warehouse.