LARKANA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sukkur has initiated probe into Zakat funds allocated to the Chandka Medical College Hospital in Larkana.
In this connection, a letter issued to the CMCH Medical Superintendent (MS) said that “the competent authority has taken the cognizance of the alleged offence(s) committed by officers/officials of Social Welfare Department/Zakat and Usher Department, Government of Sindh and others under the provisions of NAO, 1999”.
“The inquiry has revealed that you are in possession of information/evidence whatsoever, which relates to the commission of said offence,” the letter added.
In its letter, the corruption watchdog directed CMCH to produce a finance related officer to appear before NAB on November 12 pertaining the case. The CMCH MS deputed a paramedic, who was posted to work as Incharge Zakat Funds’ distribution due to acute shortage of staff, to appear before the NAB IO on the specified date. The representative was sent back by the IO who directed the accounts officer to appear as mentioned in the letter.
Sindh Zakat Council is allocating Rs10 million annually to the CMCH for poverty-stricken poor patients that arrive to get treatment and various surgeries to save their precious lives from downtrodden areas of various districts of lower Sindh and Balochistan.
The Zakat funds are utilised for procurement of lenses for eye patients, steel rods for orthopedic patients and medicines on prescription basis. Subcalwin catheters for dialysis patients, Injections TIG, Anti-D and Human Albumin Salt-free are also procured on bulk basis out of these funds.
Sources also claimed that these funds are also misused to please political persons due to which CMCH had been demanding in the past to double the allocation keeping in view the poverty level in the rural areas.