Record of Layyah hospitals sought
The anti-corruption department has launched inquiries into alleged misappropriation of funds in the Layyah District Headquarters Hospital and six tehsil hospitals, seeking their seven-year record.
According to sources, the inquiries were launched over suspicion of corruption in the local purchase of medicines in the hospitals, irregularities in the use of non-salary budget through fictitious bills and fraud in spending the health council budget.
The district health administration was given one day to hand over the record of the tehsil hospitals to an officer.
An inquiry has also been launched into complaints of irregularities in Grade IV recruitment and misappropriation of the allocated health council budget.
According to the sources, the anti-corruption department has sent a letter to the medical superintendents of the district and tehsil hospitals, seeking the record related to the budget.
The sources said record pertaining to the non-salary and health council budget from 2016 to 2022, bills, vouchers, bank statements, cash books, stock registers, expenditure, list of employees working under the supervision of the council, salary, work register and approved schemes has been sought.
According to the sources, the annual budget at the tehsil level is Rs60,000 and at the district level Rs20 million to Rs30 million.
All tehsil hospitals of the district have handed over the demanded record to the circle officer of the anti-corruption department, while the DHQ hospital administration has sought one-day time to hand over the record, citing a visit of the provincial health secretary to Layyah.
According to Anti-Corruption Department Circle Officer Sarfaraz Khan Gadi, there is a possibility of major scams being unearthed through the record and action is being taken in the light of verified reports.
DHQ Hospital MS Dr Khadim Hussain Qureshi told The Express Tribune that all the work during his posting had been done as per the rules and regulations.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2023.