Medicines Embezzlement Case: NAB Balochistan got remand of accused
Staff Reporter :
QUETTA: An accountability court on Friday handed over three accused in the medicines embezzlement case to the National Accountability Bureau. The accused include the additional director medical store department and two other accused.
NAB Balochistan investigation revealed their involvement in Rs. 400 million corruption in the purchase of life-saving drugs for government-run hospitals in the province. NAB produced the accused before the accountability court to seek their remand. The judge of the court granted 12 days remand to NAB in this regard. “NAB investigation team interrogating from the accused”, an official of the anti-corruption bureau who declined to be named told the daily Quetta Voice.
The accused former additional director MSD, Zulfiqar Ali Baloch in connivance with medical technician and properties of Ali Umer Enterprises identified as Khalid Bhatti and Faqeer Hussain allegedly embezzled over Rs. 400m in the supply of anti-rabies injections. They were entrusted with the task to provide anti-rabies injections to government-run hospitals in Balochistan.
The accused failed to provide anti-rabies injections to hospitals
An investigation conducted by NAB on the directives of the Director-General revealed that the accused failed to provide anti-rabies injections to hospitals and violated the BEPRA rules. The accused received the money in advance.
On public complaints, NAB Balochistan launched an inquiry and apprehended the accused involved in Rs. 400m embezzlement. Government-run hospitals across Balochistan paint a bleak picture when it comes to the availability of life-saving drugs and the presence of health professionals.
Balochistan government allocates Rs. 32 bs
During the current financial year, the Balochistan government allocated over Rs. 32 bs to improve health facilities in government-run hospitals across the province. However, poor governance appears to be one of the underlying reasons behind the poor-state of hospitals in Balochistan.
