AMTI launches probe into ‘financial irregularities’

Questions purchase worth Rs930 million sans BOG approval

ABBOTABAD:

The Abbottabad Ayub Medical Teaching Institution (AMTI ) has initiated a probe into the alleged unlawful purchase of medicines and equipment worth Rs930 million in Ayub Teaching Hospital.

According to a notification (a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune) issued by the AMTI Board of Governors (BoG) secretary, the purchase of electrical items, medical store items, surgical pathological items, IT equipment and medicines were made without the approval of the BOG.

The board constituted an inquiry committee comprising Prof Sajid Kazmi, Prof Haq Nawaz and M Zeeshan while Asad Khan Jadoon Advocate will be the chairman of the inquiry committee.
The inquiry committee will furnish its report within ten days with recommendations and fixation of responsibilities in the next Board meeting.

In the emergency meeting of the BOG, three board members Syed Jafar Hussain Shah, Asad Khan Jadoon Advocate and Fawad Saleh Advocate, besides Secretary Board Hamid Mehmood and Coordinator Dr Abid Khawaj participated. While three members Ayaz Khan, Dr Aftab Rabbani, and Javed Ahmed Turk abstained from the meeting.

It’s worth noting that the notification regarding the resignation of Mushtaq Jadoon has already been issued by the health ministry, after he assumed the role of Advisor Federal Ombudsman at Peshawar.

The meeting presided over by Board Member Syed Jafar Shah, highlighted the objectives of the emergency meeting and informed that the meeting held on the previous day was postponed because the hospital administration had locked the BOG office by using the security in-charge of the hospital.

The board also formed a three-member committee against the response of the medical director in AMTI hospital regarding cleanliness and other matters, which will submit its report to the board in ten days. Prof Shehla Noor, Prof Aftab Alam and Prof Adil Naseer were also included in the committee.

The security officer of the hospital has been issued a show-cause notice and has been asked to explain within three days.