Undoubtedly Corruption is a menace but Pakistan is flooded with the said talent as looking at any institution of Pakistan, we can clearly see corruption from far away.
The biggest reason of corruption is the non-availability of good governance in Pakistan. No institution is safe from swamping corruption in the country but when it occurs in the health care system of the country it can not only lead to financial losses and also loss of precious lives as well.
Ever since the assumption of power by the PPP government the health ministry
has virtually become hub of corruption in Pakistan.
The most regrettable thing is that a program set up with the name of Prime Minister is found to be the most corrupt of all.
According to statistics available with the Weekly Pulse, massive corruption is taking place in the PM Program for Control and Prevention of Hepatitis.
Millions of Pakistanis are diagnosed with Hepatitis B and several are on the last stages of this disease and millions of rupees in corruption money is being made in the name of treatment of these people.
Despite the fact that Prime Minister is taking a special interest in the program but still there is no transparency in it.
On the other hand, Emergency Action Plan made for prevention of spread of Hepatitis has become a mere joke. The PM in his speeches had made mention of this plans on several occasions but despite this only Rs 100 million have been allocated in the fiscal year 2009-10 for the Rs 11 billion plan.
The massive corruption was exposed when medicines, injections and test syringes were bought under this program and a whopping Rs 80 million financial embezzlement was exposed in a single tender.
The thing which worth mentioning is that an Indian prepared vaccine was purchased by Ministry of Health which is not even registered in Pakistan.
Under Drug Rules 1976 a ban on selling unregistered medicines exists and the violators are punishable under this offense. The action against violators is taken by the Drug Inspectors of Health Ministry through the Drug Courts. But what is to be done if the Ministry of Health is itself a violator.
Ministry of Health on 23 January issued tenders in newspapers regarding purchase of Interferon Injection, Lamivudine Tablet, Elisa Diagnostic Kits, Disposal syringes.
The Health Ministry Sources told Pulse that Ministry purchased 900,000 unit of Revac-B vaccine that was prepared by Bharat Biotech India through a Sindh Medical Store Karachi. It is worth mentioning that the vaccine remains unregistered until the passage of tender.
The second important thing is the price of vaccine, which was approved at a cost of RS 58 per vaccine despite the fact that in the past any vaccine prepared by a multi national company was purchased at RS 38. This high cost of purchase cost the national exchequer a loss of Rs 20 million.
Similarly Ministry purchased tablets Lamivir HBV prepared by CIPLA-INDIA at Rs 23.80 per tablet while a Pakistani company had sold the similar tablets to the Health Ministry for Rs 9 which is sheer sleaze. This also cost a loss of Rs 10.4 million.
Taking stern notice, Federal Minister for Health Ejaz Jhakrani sent Program Manager Dr Sharif Khan for a forceful leave on charges of tampering of the said tender. Dr Sharif was later dismissed from his job after all allegations leveled proved false. On the other hand, regarding purchase of Elisa Kit for Hepatitis B tests and other some 30 million rupees embezzlement was unearthed.
According to our sources million of rupee embezzlement worth 80 million has taken place in the Health Ministry which is solely responsible for it.
Sources disclosed that a tender for purchasing Interferon injections along with syringes numbers 627802 was issued. The tender was submitted by Bio-Care Pharmaceutical Karachi for Rs 182.87 per injection, however when tenders were opened the opposing pharmaceutical companies accused the than Program Manager Dr Sharif Khan of tempering the tenders.
On this the Federal Health Minister Ejaz Jhakrani had sent Dr Sharif to a force leave and started an inquiry in this regard. According to the inquiry report, no charges were proven against Dr Sharif, however he was still dismissed from services only to make commission on purchase of injections.
After dismissing, Dr Sharif, the Ministry again issued tenders in which Bio Care Company again submitted its tender of Rs 212 per injection instead of previous RS 182.70 per injection. When the Program Manager of the PM’s Program Major Javed Akhtar Memon was contacted he had a lame excuse that he was unaware of the entire matter.
He said that he will look into the matter adding it took place before he assumed charged but he added that he will discuss the matter in length with the Ministry to solve the query tooth and nail.
Copy writer: Badr Shukri
