PAC expresses strong displeasure over audit paras of Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta
Quetta, The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly, reviewed audit paras covering expenditures of Rs 9,576 million out of Rs 10,443 million between 2017-18 and 2021-22, noting that hospital authorities had consistently avoided accountability.
The committee meeting chaired by Asghar Ali Tareen, convened to review special audit reports of Sandeman Provincial Hospital (SPH) Quetta. The committee expressed strong displeasure over the hospital administration and Health Department’s failure to provide required records and comply with earlier PAC directives.
Committee members Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, Muhammad Khan Lehri, Safia Fazal, Rahmat Saleh Baloch, and Wali Muhammad Nurzai attended, alongside Assembly Secretary Tahir Shah Kakar, DG Audit Shuja Ali, Special Secretary Health Shaheek Baloch, Special Secretary PAC Siraj Lehri, Additional Secretary Law Saeed Iqbal, MS SPH Dr. Hadi, DG Health Balochistan Dr. Amin, and other officials.
Chairman Tareen criticized the Health Department for disregarding PAC instructions over the past 18 months, stressing that PAC’s constitutional mandate is to ensure transparency, accountability, and financial discipline in the use of public resources.
The audit highlighted irregularities in medicine procurement worth Rs 30.016 million, where supply orders were issued to M/s FDL, Peshawar, but payments were made to M/s Health Tech, Quetta. Audit objections included absence of stock register entries, delivery challans, and inspection reports. Despite DAC directives to provide complete records, the department failed to submit key documents including batch numbers and inspection details. PAC directed that all records be produced within 15 days.
Another audit para revealed that medicines worth Rs 22.825 million were missing from the central store during FY 2019-20. Despite the pharmacist’s report, the issue remained unresolved. Audit noted discrepancies in stock registers and absence of delivery challans and inspection reports. The department denied the allegations but failed to provide satisfactory explanations. PAC members expressed anger, noting this was the fourth meeting on the matter without progress.
Chairman Asghar Tareen warned that if satisfactory explanations and complete records are not provided, the committee may recommend referring the case to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or lodging an FIR. He lamented that despite billions spent on the Health Department, results remain unsatisfactory, with performance limited to social media appearances rather than ground realities.
PAC members also raised concerns that some suspended employees were still attending offices, reflecting weak administrative control. The Chairman stressed that PAC’s time cannot be wasted and warned that future meetings would not proceed without full preparation from departments. He said the issue would be reported to the Chief Secretary and presented before the Assembly.
The committee directed the Health Department to submit all required records, explanations, and documents related to both audit paras within 15 days.