SC looking into shady procurement at Islamabad’s public hospitals.
PHOTO: FILE
The Supreme Court also ordered the FIA director general to probe nitrogen and oxygen gas supplies to Polyclinic.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Saqib Nisar was hearing a suo motu on alleged corruption in the supply of oxygen and nitrogen gas, and the theft of medicine from Polyclinic.
Moreover, the bench also directed Islamabad Additional District Judge Sayyed Faizan Haider to decide on a stay application filed by Business Developers — Polyclinic’s supplier — on August 22.
The advocates general of all provinces were ordered to provide details on machinery and other equipment in DHQ hospitals in the next hearing.
Justice Nisar told CADD Secretary Hassan Iqbal that he would need an affidavit of every aspect of the report owing to the fact that if anything went wrong, then he would be responsible.
He added that things need to improve in government-run medical institutions in the capital.
Iqbal informed the bench that he has taken all aspects of the case into account and would personally probe the issues, adding that he would need two weeks to complete the work.
Justice Ejaz Afzal asked about any expenditure authorised by the hospital’s administration which had not been subject to audit.
Afzal questioned why glaring errors were not reflected in audit reports, while asking what the audit department had been doing.
“It seems as if all are sailing in one boat and things have been done hand-in-glove,” the judge observed.
The FIA director informed that the agency had jurisdiction to investigate this case.
He said he had also explained it to a Senate Standing Committee which is looking into the same alleged corruption in Polyclinic.
He enumerated that 102 technicians were recruited at Islamabad hospitals, 20 of whom are not eligible for their jobs.
After the court asked him to probe the supply of nitrogen and oxygen gas from Business Developers, he replied that the contractor had procured a stay from a sessions court, in view of which the hospital administration could not float a fresh tender. The bench asked Iqbal to make sure there is no shortage of nitrogen gas at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the counsel for Business Developers stated that he had filed an application to become party to the case. The court told him they would examine it later.
The case was then adjourned for two weeks.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2016.
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