Rana Waheed, Bureau Chief, Dawn TV, Daily Dawn
Sahiwal: Billions of rupees worth of irregularities in the construction, machinery and laundry plant in the teaching hospital, strict notice from the Chief Minister’s inspection team, immediate report sought from the Medical Superintendent and instructions to submit the records to the Health Secretary’s office of the MS Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal, on September 16. The higher orders formed another committee on top of the committee, and more time was given to those who committed irregularities. And the responsibility of investigating the negligence and poorly planned construction, and corruption was placed on the MS, which arrived a few days ago.
The inspection team of the Chief Minister of Punjab has taken strict notice of the alleged irregularities in the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital and has directed the Medical Superintendent to immediately provide all the records and details. According to the inspection team, a special committee has been formed to review the construction of hospital buildings, purchase of machinery and medical equipment, their installation and current condition and see where corruption, negligence or poor planning took place. The committee has also been given the responsibility to estimate the financial loss and identify the officers whose negligence or incompetence affected the projects. The letter clarified that the Medical Superintendent should submit a comprehensive report that includes every aspect, including the transparency of the procurement process, reasons for delays in projects and poor construction, current status of machinery and equipment, loss to the public exchequer, all tendering and bidding records, administrative approvals and project documents. The inspection team specifically raised questions about the hospital’s laundry plant. The letter said why this plant, purchased at a cost of crores of rupees, could not be made functional to date, who was responsible for obtaining a gas connection and whether the alternative of running the plant on LNG was ever considered. It has further been asked whether funds were kept in the budget for this purpose or approval was taken, and when a laundry plant is installed, then what is the reason for outsourcing laundry services at huge costs? The inspection team has ordered that an officer of Medical Superintendent Grade 17 or above, who is fully aware of the facts, should appear at the inspection team’s office in Lahore on September 16, 2025, at 11:30 am and give a briefing.
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