Audit reveals corruption in medicines procurement
PHOTO: AFP
The audit has revealed a corruption scandal of Rs406 million in the Rawalpindi District Health Authority (DHA) pertaining to the violation of rules and regulations, purchase of medical supplies at a rate higher than the market and unnecessary purchase of medicine.
Sources said separate inquiries were being conducted against the former female chief executive officer (CEO) and the district health officer (DHO) of which one of the inquiries was completed while the other would be completed within 30 days.
According to sources, one female officer is working in Bahawalnagar DHA while another female officer is working in the Allied Hospital.
The allegations of corrupt practices came to light through audit paras 2021-22-23 and violations of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules were also found during the audit.
According to sources, after the allegations of corruption and corrupt practices surfaced against the former female CEO of the Rawalpindi DHA in the purchase of medicines and other goods worth Rs266 million and violation of PPRA rules in the procurement of medicines and violation of PPRA rules in the audit para, the secretary primary and secondary health has issued instructions to the regional audit director to complete an inquiry into the matter within 30 days.
The sources said that according to the audit para, another female DHO working in the DHA allegedly violated PPRA rules in purchasing medicines and other general items worth Rs140 million and was found involved in corrupt practices. At this, the matter was referred to a three-member inquiry committee headed by the director of health services. The committee has completed the inquiry into the matter and its report would soon be sent to the competent authority.
After these incidents of corrupt practices in the DHA, strict instructions have been issued by the department that no local purchase should be made, nor any contract be awarded in violation of the PPRA rules and regulations and the funds obtained from the treasury should be used strictly in accordance with the rules and legal requirements.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th, 2023.