Medicines Worth Rs22 Million Missing from Quetta Civil Hospital Store; Oxygen Cylinders Bought at Inflated Rates

**QUETTA (Daily Qudrat):** The **Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly** has uncovered alarming financial irregularities and severe administrative mismanagement at **Sandeman Provincial (Civil) Hospital Quetta**, involving the disappearance of medicines worth **Rs22.8 million** and gross overpricing in oxygen cylinder purchases.

During a PAC meeting chaired by **Asghar Ali Tareen**, a **special audit report** revealed that between **fiscal years 2017 and 2022**, the hospital administration purchased medicines worth **Rs30.016 million**, but serious discrepancies were found in supply orders, billing records, and stock registers — many of which were missing or incomplete.

The report made a shocking revelation that during the **2019–20 fiscal year**, medicines worth **Rs22.825 million** mysteriously vanished from the hospital’s main store. When questioned, the hospital administration offered an unconvincing explanation, claiming that the **former pharmacist failed to record entries due to illness**, which disrupted the inventory records.

Additionally, the audit found that the hospital caused a loss of **Rs1.342 million** to the public exchequer by purchasing **oxygen cylinders at exorbitant prices**. While the agreed contract price per cylinder was **Rs537**, the hospital reportedly bought them at an **astounding Rs40,000 each** during the pandemic period.

The committee expressed **strong displeasure** over the findings, rejected the explanations as unsatisfactory, and directed authorities to **identify the responsible officials and conduct a thorough inquiry**. The PAC has ordered that a **comprehensive report** be submitted within **one week**, holding all negligent officers accountable for the massive misuse of public funds.