Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hospitals Face Alleged Rs 130 Crore Irregularities in Drug Procurement
Peshawar: Alleged financial irregularities amounting to Rs 1.3 billion have been reported in the procurement of medicines at government hospitals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Health Department has issued show-cause notices to the medical superintendents of 24 hospitals, warning of strict action for violations of financial rules.
According to private news channel Samaa News, the department highlighted that several hospitals bypassed standard procedures, made payments without proper drug-testing clearance, and exceeded allocated budgets during medicine purchases.
Documents reveal that many hospitals procured expensive medicines unnecessarily, while local procurement processes were also flagged for irregularities. It was noted that 80% of hospital budgets were not spent according to approved procedures, and previous year’s arrears were paid from the current budget.
Most hospitals have exhausted their medicine budgets prematurely, and the overall procurement system has been deemed ineffective. The Health Department has called for explanations from all concerned officials and indicated that strict disciplinary action may follow.
