Peshawar:The Anti-Corruption Department has launched an investigation into the allegations of corruption involving Rs 1.91 billion in the procurement of medicines and hospital equipment for public sector hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Anti-Corruption Department has sent a questionnaire to the former caretaker Health Minister and former Director General (DG) of Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this regard. They are required to respond to 37 questions within five days, according to official documents, released on Thursday.
Former DG Health, Dr. Shaukat Ali, has already replied, asserting that all the purchases, including medicines and hospital equipment, adhered to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) regulations.
He stated that procurement advertisements were published in newspapers and that over Rs 4 billion in purchase orders were issued to various drug-supplying companies.
Documents show that the Finance Department allocated Rs 2.9 billion in instalments for essential supplies. However, it is a
lleged that unnecessary items like gowns, drape sheets and gloves, totaling Rs 1.91 billion, were procured in breach of the prescribed policy.
Records also indicate that Rs 800 million worth of stock was delivered to the central warehouse and over Rs 3.17 billion was paid to suppliers. Additional reports suggest that inspection bills were approved without verifying the actual stock.