DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Arsalan Khan Nazim has alleged widespread mismanagement, neglect and financial irregularities in the province’s health sector, questioning the government’s ability to provide basic healthcare facilities to the public.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club along with provincial joint secretary Hamid Toofan and Malgari Doctors KP general secretary Dr Mohammad Shehzad, Mr Nazim said every sick prisoner, including PTI founder Imran Khan, had the right to receive proper medical treatment.
“Treatment is the right of PTI founder Imran Khan, but who will take responsibility for the health and lives of millions of people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?” he asked.
He criticised the absence of a permanent director general of health and said running the department through an acting officer raised questions about the government’s priorities.
Mr Nazim claimed that prostate surgeries at Lady Reading Hospital had been affected for the past two months because of a shortage of required equipment. He also alleged that the number of ICU beds at the hospital had not increased substantially since 2013, creating difficulties for patients.
He said several healthcare projects, including Fountain Hospital, Mardan Women and Children Hospital and the Khyber Institute of Children’s Health, had remained only partially operational despite years of development and official inaugurations.
The ANP leader also raised questions about procurement and administrative matters at Hayatabad Medical Complex, alleging irregularities in the purchase of medicines and medical equipment, including issues relating to records, brand approvals, purchase orders and payments.
He claimed that the party had information suggesting alleged financial irregularities worth billions of rupees and called for an independent and transparent investigation. He further alleged that corruption amounting to Rs14 billion had taken place at the hospital, a claim that could not be independently verified.
Mr Nazim also claimed that heart patients at Hayatabad Medical Complex had faced a shortage of stents for the past two to three weeks, and urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure uninterrupted treatment.
He said questioning government performance and raising issues of alleged corruption and mismanagement was the constitutional and political responsibility of the opposition. He added that the ANP would not be deterred by pressure or official notices.
Mr Nazim demanded a comprehensive audit of medicine and equipment procurement, hospital administration, development projects and financial payments in the health sector. He also called for all inquiry reports to be made public and action to be taken against those found responsible for irregularities.
Speaking on the occasion, ANP provincial joint secretary and member of the Provincial Information Committee Hamid Toofan alleged irregularities in development projects across the province.
He claimed that a Rs1.68 billion road project in Karak had been divided into six packages and alleged that contractors offering bids around 10 per cent lower had been overlooked in favour of preferred contractors at higher rates. He claimed the alleged irregularities caused an estimated Rs360 million loss to the public exchequer.
Mr Toofan said contractors had approached the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KPRA) over the project and an inquiry had also been ordered, but its report had not been made public.
He also questioned the implementation of beautification projects in Khyber and Karak districts, alleging that separate arrangements had been made for the two districts and that preferred contractors had benefited from the process.
He claimed that contractors had approached KPRA over alleged irregularities in the beautification schemes and called for the relevant inquiry reports, tendering records and details of judicial orders to be made public.
Mr Toofan demanded that details of around Rs12 billion in development funds released for Karak over the past two years, along with records of projects completed under the funds, be made public.
He also called upon the National Accountability Bureau and other relevant institutions to conduct transparent and independent investigations into the allegations.
