Balochistan Assembly PAC Audit Reveals Multi-Million Irregularities at Sandeman Provincial (Civil) Hospital Quetta
Quetta:The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly has uncovered **multi-million rupee financial irregularities and severe administrative lapses** at Sandeman Provincial (Civil) Hospital Quetta, according to a special audit report presented in a meeting chaired by **Asghar Ali Tarin**.
The report, covering the fiscal years **2017–2022**, highlighted that the hospital purchased medicines worth **30.016 million rupees**, but there were major discrepancies in supply orders and bills. Orders were issued to one company while payments were made to another, and **stock registers and inspection reports were missing**.
Shockingly, during **2019–20**, medicines worth **22.825 million rupees** went missing from the hospital’s central store. The report noted that a former pharmacist, due to illness, failed to enter records on time, but **complete records have still not been submitted**.
Additionally, **oxygen cylinders** were purchased at inflated rates, causing a **loss of 1.342 million rupees** to the government. While the contract price was 537 rupees per cylinder, purchases during the pandemic were made at an **astonishing 40,000 rupees per cylinder**, and all quotations were prepared in a single document, raising serious transparency concerns.
The PAC expressed **strong displeasure** over the findings, rejected the explanations as unsatisfactory, and **directed the identification of responsible officers**. Officials were ordered to conduct inquiries into negligence and submit a **report within one week**.
