Report confirms theft of medicines in Bhakkar

Legal process initiated to identify those involved in stealing drugs

BHAKKAR:

The inquiry report on the central store of government medicines has revealed that drugs worth millions of rupees were found missing from the store of the health department.

The inquiry committee report valued the missing drugs at Rs90 million.

The CEO of Health has suspended Irfan Abbas, the storekeeper, and reshuffled all the other staff. Legal process has been launched to identify other actors in the alleged theft of medicines.

Extensive legal action has been initiated against the former storekeeper allegedly involved in the misappropriation at the medical store of the health department in Bhakkar.

About three months ago, DHO of Bhakkar, Dr. Umar Baz Khan, had visited the main medical store, and it was revealed to him that medicines worth millions of rupees had been missing.

The DHO, Dr. Umar Baz Khan, immediately reported the matter to the CEO of Health.

On the report of the disappearance of such a huge amount of government medicines, CEO Health immediately formed a committee consisting of Drug Inspectors Samiul Haq and Fida Hussain, Procurement Officer Muhammad Imran and Focal Person Rana Muhammad Anwar for further investigation and ordered them to complete the inquiry in a transparent manner.

Meanwhile, those who allegedly stole medicines also stole the records of the central store to hide their alleged corruption.

The inquiry committee compiled its records with the help of the records of the medicines supplied to all the hospitals in the four tehsils of the district. Then the inquiry committee said in its report that medicines worth about Rs90 million were allegedly missing from the central store.

CEO Health Bhakkar Dr. Atiqur Rehman Khan immediately suspended the former storekeeper, Irfan Abbas, in the light of the inquiry report.

CEO Health conducted an inquiry twice on the alleged misappropriation of government medicines and both the times the former storekeeper who had allegedly stolen the medicines did not submit the record at the inquiry.

CEO Health made a formal request to Director Anti-Corruption Sargodha Division regarding the case.

The CEO Health Bhakkar has recovered the drugs of huge value from the possession of the former storekeeper and has also written a letter for the return of the official records.

On this occasion, CEO Health Bhakkar Dr. Atiqur Rahman Khan told the journalists that the noose around such elements had been tightened. Violation of departmental rules and regulations and corruption were intolerable.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2023.