Mega corruption scandal of over Rs3bn hits Sahiwal teaching hospital

Mega corruption scandal of over Rs3bn hits Sahiwal teaching hospital

By Syed Fakhar Zaidi
On the special request of MPA Sahiwal, Malik Qasim Nadeem Kamran, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif took action against private lab- oratories benefiting from imported machinery meant for the hospital.
A mega corruption scandal exceeding 3 billion rupees has come to light in the construction project of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital. Following the request of Qasim Nadeem, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has formed three inquiry committees. A deci- sion has been made to place the names of 25 officials-including building department officers, the Medical Superintendent, bioengi- neers, purchase committee mem- bers, finance directors, the Chief Executive, Principal, storekeepers, and other officers-on the Exit Control List (ECL). The Chief Minister’s monitoring team has start- ed the inquiry into the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital. The first com- mittee, led by Additional Finance Secretary Ashfaq-ur-Rehman, con- ducted the first phase of the inquiry on August 5. Afterward, the Medical Superintendent was summoned to Lahore along with relevant records. The third technical committee will conduct a separate inquiry.
In 2014, due to the special efforts of Malik Nadeem Kamran, then Provincial Minister of Punjab, the District Headquarters Hospital was upgraded to the status of a teaching hospital. Subsequently, the Chief Minister of Punjab initiated projects worth 3.58 billion rupees, including
the construction of 16 units of the teaching hospital. However, by 2025, despite 9.31 billion rupees having been spent, theaters and machinery in these 16 units are still not opera- tional. Laundry machines, gensets, and other medical equipment were imported from Italy, the UK, and the USA, but were reportedly made to disappear by officials directly from the airport. The cardiology ward is also in limbo. Institutions have rec- ommended placing the names of 25 officials on the ECL.
During the inquiry, it was revealed that the hospital administra- tion, finance department, and store- keepers had no record of the import- ed machinery, its orders, or deliver- ies. The inquiry committee has yet to receive any such documentation.
Imported machinery worth 140 million rupees for the cardiology unit was allegedly handed over to eight private laboratories. While doctors working at the hospital increased their personal income through this scheme, patients were deprived of access to advanced testing facilities. Ward doctors continue to exploit patients’ families in the name of unnecessary tests.
When the matter of corruption at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, support- ed by photos, videos, films, and other evidence, came to light through the efforts of intelligence agencies fol- lowing MPA Qasim Nadeem Kamran’s request, the Chief Minister decided to take strict action.MPA Qasim Nadeem Kamran of Sahiwal stated, “This was my father Malik Nadeem Kamran’s project, and I will go to the last extent against every person involved in this corruption.