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Rs1.9 billion corruption uncovered in KP medicine procurement
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- Waqas Buneri
- Nov 23, 2024

PESHAWAR: A massive corruption of Rs 1.9 billion has been revealed in medicine procurement during the caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government setup.
In this regard, a committee investigating the matter has submitted its findings to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur.
The report revealed a misappropriation of Rs1.9 billion out of a Rs 4.4 billion medicine procurement budget.
According to the report, unnecessary and non-emergency items worth Rs. 1.86 billion were purchased without any formal demand. Medical supplies and medicines worth Rs. 3.17 billion were distributed to a few centers, with Rs. 1.08 billion allocated to just six medical facilities.
Large quantities of medical supplies were sent to the North Waziristan District Health Officer without any justification. These included gowns, condoms, disposable OT sheets, and gloves, classified as unnecessary items, according to the report.
Initially, 81 firms were shortlisted for procurement, but the bulk of purchases and payments were made through only 14 firms.
Most medicines were procured without quality checks, leading to the distribution of substandard drugs. Drug testing reports were ignored prior to payments and delivery, according to the report.
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Medicines worth Rs. 50 million were procured from a pharmaceutical company already flagged for producing substandard products. Excessive transportation expenses were incurred, adding to costs.
The report further detailed that unrelated entities were involved in processing bills, while purchase orders exceeded allocated estimates, further burdening public funds.
The report highlighted that medicines were procured at rates 10 per cent to 45 per cent higher than factory prices, with retail prices used instead. Drug testing requirements were deliberately bypassed, allowing the purchase of substandard medicines.
It was noted that NAB Peshawar has already initiated an inquiry under Section 18(D) of the NAB Ordinance. The committee recommended sending the inquiry report and all records to NAB for recovering looted funds and prosecuting those involved.
The committee also suggested revising the 2015 medicine procurement policy, ensuring its approval by the cabinet, and implementing the changes effectively.
