LAHORE: The Primary and Secondary Health Care Department (P&SHD) has declared the private security company guilty of dereliction of duty after Rs15.3 million robbery at the Government Medical Store Depot (MSD) on Multan Road.

It has recommended recovery of the amount from the M/S TCS Logistics (PVT) Ltd as penalty for the damage the government suffered owing to the crime that took place a week ago.

The recommendations have been furnished in an inquiry report finalised by a three-member committee constituted by P&SHD Secretary Mohammad Usman.

The committee also identified loopholes in the security arrangements besides discrepancy in the statements of the guards deputed by the company, creating doubts about the ‘robbery incident’.

A band of 10 robbers took away 522 cartons (236 of Septran tablets and 286 of Augmentain tablets) that had been declared substandard by the Drug Testing Laboratory after entering the government MSD on Multan Road on Dec 12.

Headed by the director monitoring & evaluation, the committee comprised additional director health and director pharmacy.

According to the findings of the report, the Director General Health Services Punjab had acquired two warehouses — Maraka I and II — on Multan Road. These warehouses were declared sub MSD vide notification No 5262-65/PC of May 2, 2019.

The DGHS signed a one-year service contract with the successful bidder M/S TCS Logistics (Pvt) Ltd., for security. The committee claimed that under the contract the TCS was responsible for the security of goods by applying strong and continuous chain of custody, applying Safety & Quality Codes, 24 /7 CCTV monitoring and breach proof electronic surveillance against loss of property from fire, theft and loss.

“As per clause 5(c) of the contract the company in question is responsible for any damage to thegoods during warehousing and shall be liable to the penalty equal to the value of goods damaged,” reads the report.

It has identified serious loopholes in the security measures taken by the firm for the protection of the government property drugs and provided evidence including CCTV footages to the investigation police for action.

The Sundar police had already registered a criminal case against unidentified armed men.

The committee assessed the loss and unveiled in the report that the robbers had also taken away other goods including two motorbikes, CCTV hard drive and 200 litre diesel from the MSD.

The video clips showed armed men entering with two trucks and they looted the medicines worth Rs15.3 million, the committee said.

“The statements of the security guards were not in accordance with evidence collected from the videos of safe city cameras i.e. as per statement of security guard eight culprits entered the premises whereas camera recording shows four persons entering the premises,” the report found out.

The security staff hired by the TCS was untrained and not carrying weapons at the time of the incident, it stated. Shockingly, the guards were also not present as per standard operating procedure (SOPs) defined in the contract.

There was no surveillance /backup system on the premises in violation of service agreement.

“As per record/evidence available, it is quite evident that there were security lapses from the M/S TCS Logistics (Pvt) Ltd and as per contract M/S TCS is responsible for any theft or loss of property hence should be liable to pay penalty equal to the value of goods lost,” concludes the report.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2019