Hospital pharmacy under the scanner

Expired and substandard drugs reported at DHQ Karak

PESHAWAR:

The Administrative Officer of the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Karak has formally written to the Directorate General of Health and the focal person/in-charge of the Health Facility Programme (Sehat Sahulat Programme), demanding an urgent and comprehensive inquiry into the pharmacy operating under the programme.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the officer highlighted serious concerns, based on feedback from various unit in-charges and community members, that the pharmacy is allegedly providing substandard medicines to patients. He described the issue as a grave threat to patient safety and the overall credibility of healthcare services delivered through the programme.

In the letter, the Administrative Officer noted that the matter had been brought to his attention with deep concern.

He further pointed out that similar complaints had surfaced in the past, including reports of expired medicines, including those used in operation theatres during surgeries, being issued to patients.

"Such negligence is unacceptable and can lead to serious, even fatal, consequences," the officer warned in the communication.

The Administrative Officer has called for an immediate and thorough review of the pharmacy's operations. He has asked the focal person and in-charge of the Health Facility Programme to take prompt notice of the issue and ensure necessary corrective measures are taken to safeguard public health.

The Health Facility Programme, also known as Sehat Sahulat Programme, is a flagship initiative of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government aimed at providing free or subsidised healthcare, including medicines, to registered families through empanelled facilities.

No immediate response from the provincial health department or the programme authorities was available at the time of filing this report. Officials are expected to initiate an inquiry following the formal complaint.

This development comes amid broader concerns over medicine quality and procurement practices in public sector hospitals across the province.

It may be mentioned here that provincial government has significantly increased funding for the flagship Sehat Card Plus (Sehat Sahulat) programme, raising the monthly release to the executing agency from Rs3 billion to Rs4 billion. This move aims to clear outstanding payments to empanelled hospitals and guarantee smooth delivery of free inpatient treatment across the province.

According to official sources, the annual budget for the programme has now been enhanced from Rs36 billion to Rs48 billion. However, the formal budgetary allocation for the current fiscal year 2025-26 stands at Rs41 billion (Rs35 billion for settled districts on the current side and Rs6 billion for merged districts on the development side).