Public Accounts Committee flags Rs22.8m drug shortage at Quetta hospital

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• Raises concern over irregularities in medicine purchases at Sandeman Provincial Civil Hospital • Hospital and health officials failed to produce complete records; committee gives health dept 15 days to submit records QUETTA: The Balochistan Asse­mbly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has expressed serious concern over alleged irregularities in the purchase of medicines worth millions of rupees and the reported disappearance of drugs worth Rs22.825 million from the central store of Sandeman Provincial Civil Hospital, Quetta. The committee directed the health department and hospital administration to submit all relevant records, explanations and supporting documents within 15 days, warning that failure to provide satisfactory explanations could lead to recommendations for referring the matter to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or registration of an FIR. The PAC meeting was chaired by its chairman, Asghar Ali Tareen, and attended by committee members. The meeting reviewed in detail audit paragraphs from the special audit of Sandeman Provincial Civil Hospital for 2022-23. The committee was informed that Rs10.443 billion had been allocated or provided to the hospital between the financial years 2017-18 and 2021-22, of which Rs9.576 billion had been spent. However, the health department and hospital authorities had failed to provide complete expenditure accounts and the required record. PAC members expressed strong displeasure over the department’s failure to provide the required documents on time and its alleged non-compliance with previous PAC directives. Mr Tareen said the health department had been presenting only its own position before the committee for the past one-and-a-half years, while rules and regulations were not being properly implemented. He said this created the impression that the department was not taking the assembly and PAC seriously. The committee also examined an audit paragraph concerning the purchase of medicines worth Rs30.016 million. According to the special audit, significant irregularities had been found in the procurement process. The audit report stated that the supply order was issued to M/s FDL, Peshawar, while payment was made to M/s Health Tech, Quetta. The audit also pointed out discrepancies between supply orders and bills, missing entries in the stock register, and the absence of delivery challans and inspection reports. The department later told the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) that FDL was the manufacturing agency and Health Tech was its authorised distributor. However, during verification, several requi­red documents, including FDL’s consent, stock register, delivery challans, inspection reports, medicine batch details and other relevant records, were not produced. The PAC chairman directed the authorities to complete and submit all relevant records within 15 days. The committee also reviewed an audit paragraph concerning medicines worth Rs22.825 million reportedly missing from the hospital’s central store during 2019-20. Under GFR 151, Volume I, the store officer was responsible for the safe custody, proper record-keeping and accounting of government stores to prevent theft, damage or fraud. The special audit found that medicines worth Rs22.825 million were missing from the central store. Although the pharmacist in charge had brought the matter to the administration’s attention, it remained unresolved. Delivery challans and inspection committee reports were also unavailable in the official record. The department denied any shortage, but record scrutiny revealed discrepancies in stock balances, for which no satisfactory explanation was provided. Mr Tareen said merely suspending employees was not a solution. He said the chief secretary would be informed of the situation in writing and that the report and the matter would also be presented before the Balochistan Assembly. At the conclusion of the meeting, the health department was directed to submit within 15 days all records, explanations and documents relating to the two audit paragraphs for consideration by the PAC. Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2026

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