‘Expired dengue test kits used in Polyclinic’

FIA books two hospital officials, contractor for putting lives of patients at risk

RAWALPINDI:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has booked Polyclinic hospital’s former Deputy Executive Director Finance Dr Amanullah and storekeeper Abid Hussain for allegedly using expired dengue diagnostic kits and devices with the connivance of contractor Syed Mohammad Shah, who supplied the kits through M/S Ideal Diagnostic System Rawalpindi.

A formal case was registered against the three after an initial inquiry revealed that the expired diagnostic kits were used for patients suffering from the dengue virus.

In 2019, M/S Ideal Diagnostic System Rawalpindi supplied 27,960 dengue NSI test devices and 7,200 surgery test devices to Polyclinic Islamabad. Of these kits, 8,880 dengue NSI devices and 3,250 dengue serology (IGGIGJ) test devices expired in mid-2021.

It was the contractor's responsibility to provide new devices in place of the expired as per the terms of the contract. However, the then Deputy Executive Director Finance Dr Amanullah and storekeeper Abid Hussain instead of destroying the expired devices handed the same over to the M/S Ideal Diagnostic System Rawalpindi.

The contractor subsequently supplied the same expired kits to Polyclinic by tampering with the expiry dates and the two Polyclinic officials allowed their use in the hospital before Senior Chief Pharmacist Amna Bibi took custody of the expired test device on December 2, 2021.

A senior drug inspector of Islamabad seized 4,865 expired diagnostic kits from the store of Polyclinic after a comprehensive inquiry.

According to the FIR, Dr Amanullah and storekeeper Abid Hussain misused their powers and allowed the contractor to take the expired kits from the hospital and allowing him to tamper with the official record of stock and daily inventory.

This illegal action of the hospital officials and the contractor not only put the lives of the patients at risk but also benefitted Rs5.5 million to the supplier who was bound to provide new kits in place of the expired ones.

During the inquiry, vendor Syed Mohammad Shah returned the whole sum he earned in profit. In light of the initial inquiry, a case has been registered against Dr Amanullah, Abid Hussain and Syed Mohammad Shah and further investigation is under way.

On the other hand, Rawalpindi's total tally of dengue has reached 4,749 cases, with the arrival of one more patient during the last 24 hours. District Coordinator Epidemics Prevention and Control, Dr Sajjad Mehmood Friday said that 11 patients have been admitted to three allied hospitals of the city, including six to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital, three to the District Headquarters Hospital and two to the Holy Family Hospital.

He said that out of the total admitted patients, six were confirmed to be dengue positive whereas four belonged to Rawalpindi. In collaboration with allied departments, the health officer added that the district administration had registered five FIRs, sealed three premises, issued Challans to 14, notices to 676, and a fine of Rs627,000 was imposed over violations of anti-dengue SOPs from November 25 to date.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2022.