Islamabad: Polyclinic: Lowest bids for medicines purchase rejected in 2007-08: AGP

[Naveed Yaseen]

Rejection of lowest bids for medicines

Polyclinic incurs loss of Rs 34.148m in 2007-08

* AGP report says PIMS failed to use 13 vehicles donated by Iran during the said fiscal

By Irfan Bukhari

ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has pointed out massive irregularities in the federal Health Ministry’s accounts during the financial year 2007-08.

The AGP’s report available with Daily Times said the management of the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH), also known as Polyclinic, rejected the lowest rates of medicines quoted by the bidders without recording proper justification, causing a loss of Rs 34.148 million in the purchase of the Rs 58.228 million medicines.

It also said the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences’ (PIMS) management couldn’t utilise 13 vehicles donated by Iran during the said fiscal.

According to it, 13 vehicles including 10 ambulances, and one X-Ray plant, one operation theatre and one Mercedes bus donated by Iran during 2005 in connection with rehabilitation of earthquake victims were handed over to the PIMS during 2006.

The AGP report said all the vehicles in question had neither been utilised nor were they surrendered to the Cabinet Division’s Car Pool for distribution to other agency or agencies.

It also revealed that the PIMS management maintained Private Medical Ward 2 with the capacity of 40 beds for entitled patients i.e. government servants in BPS-17, 18 and 19, and private and panel patients on payment of Rs 500 per day.

The audit report observed that in addition to utilizing 6 beds/rooms for ward related administration purposes, the hospital management was using 7 beds/rooms for purely administrative purpose and one bed/room was out of order.

It further said the Health Ministry released grants-in-aid amounting to Rs 158.22 million to different agencies, associations and institutions, and societies during 2007-08 without specifying the objectives and obtaining statements of the audited accounts.

The report also revealed the National Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) failed to forfeit Rs 3.136 million as performance security from safety box suppliers, who couldn’t honour their respective contract.

“The Federal EPI Cell under the Health Ministry made a payment of Rs 369.253 million to a private company of Islamabad, Strongman Medifur System Limited, for the purchase of imported disposable syringes. However, income tax was not deducted at source according to the provision of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, and as a result, the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs 12.924 million,” the audit report said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_1