Hospital administrator quits

Points out gross irregularities in medicine procurement for govt hospitals

HYDERABAD:

The alleged corruption in the government procured medicines for the government hospitals seems to have found a voice among one of the top officials of a District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ). The Administrator of DHQ Dadu district, Dr Fateh Muhammad Talpur, in his resignation letter has also exposed other alleged irregularities in the operations of the government hospital.

"I planned transparent and honest procurement of medical store items so that the commissions and kickbacks can be stopped but you discourage me," reads the letter addressed to Vice Chancellor of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, Dr Ikram Din Ujjan. The DHQ functions under his administrative control.

He continued saying that the purchase of medicines was done through incumbent Medical Superintendent Dr Amjad Mastoi who was not posted at that hospital during the period in question when Dr Zahid Khuhro was the MS. He blamed the VC for leaving financial control of the DHQ in the hands of Dr Mastoi even though Dr Sajjan Halepoto and Haroon Kalhoro were managing the hospital's finances in an honest way.

According to him, 14 mechanical ventilators which were provided to the Civil Hospital, Dadu, were allegedly shifted to Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, by the VC. "I informed you about the ghost doctors of this hospital but you didn't move," Dr Talpur claimed. He also referred to alleged irregularities in the fuel utilisation for vehicles of the MS.

He also reiterated his objection to shifting the hospital to the new building of the DHQ, stating that it violated the memorandum of understanding signed by the Sindh health department and LUMHS. "You [the VC] gave no importance to my point of view but now the whole city of Dadu is protesting against it."

The outgoing administrator alleged that the VC has been at the back of MS Dr Mastoi in all his alleged irregularities. Meanwhile, in response to the accusation the VC issued a statement on Friday refuting all charges against him.