LAHORE: Punjab Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has decided to conduct special audit of two teaching hospitals of Lahore in respect of local purchase of medicines and other surgical instruments for FY 2019-20 and 2020-22. Three-member audit committee comprising Deputy Director Internal Audit Wing Alamdar Hussain as convener, Deputy Director Financial Management Cell Hammadur Rab and Manager Specialized Healthcare Shafique Hussain as members has been constituted by the department.

This was disclosed by Secretary Specialized Healthcare Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan here on Monday while chairing a high-level meeting which was attended amongst others by Additional Secretary Development Dr Asif Tufail. Secretary Health said that this decision of conduct of special audit of these hospitals was taken in view of growing complaints regards purchase of medicines in respect of LP. He said that this scope of audit would be extended phase wise to all teaching hospitals of the province.

Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan said that the audit team would assess the procurement of LP in accordance with rules and procedures concerned and 15% of total budget for indoor and emergency patients was utilized or otherwise. The audit team would ascertain the medicines of local purchase were maintained in stock entry and record of distribution. The team would ascertain the loss of public exchequer in respect of LP as compared to bulk purchase. The audit team would probe and investigate all the processes adopted in LP and submit its report to the health department within 15, concluded Nabeel Ahmad Awan.