Dispenser caught stealing medicine

Police claimed to have recovered medicine worth Rs500, 000 from the possession of two accused.

ISLAMABAD: The city police arrested two people on Sunday accused of stealing medicines from Poly Clinic Hospital’s dispensary. One of the arrested, Abdul Wajid, was a dispenser at the hospital.

Cases have been registered against Wajid and his accomplice Khalilur Rehman. They will both be produced before the court on Monday in order to obtain their physical remand. Police claimed to have recovered medicine worth Rs500, 000 from their possession; however, the hospital’s officials said the recovered medicine were not worth more than Rs20,000.

“They did not steal any costly medicines; they only stole Paracetamol, Brufen tablets and a few life-saving drugs,” said Dr Sharif Asturi, spokesperson of Poly Clinic Hospital. He said this was the first time that a dispenser was found stealing medicines from the hospital dispensary. He said a departmental enquiry has been ordered and Wajid has been suspended from duty.

Aabpara Police Station officials recovered the consignment of medicines from a carry van near a checkpoint near zero point. Upon interrogation, the driver of the van, Khalilur Rehman, disclosed that the dispenser Wajid was responsible for stealing and supplying him the medicines.

Inspector Khalid Mehmood Awan, SHO Aabpara Police Station told The Express Tribune that Rehman was arrested with the help of information provided by a gate-keeper at Poly Clinic Hospital, Saifur Rehman. The gatekeeper had informed the police about the smuggling of medicines from the hospital in advance.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2010.