Islamabad, October 11, 2021 (PPI-OT): The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday said the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) is at the brink of disaster due to increasing political interference and rampant corruption. Funds are being wasted mercilessly while a doctor is being paid over ten million as salary and perks making him the highest-paid government servant because he is the brother of an influential politician, it said.
Zakat funds are being misappropriated, illegal appointments have become the order of the day while many got appointed with the help of fake degrees, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW. He said that medicines for the needy are being sold in the open market, hospital waste is not disposed of but sold, used syringes are not destroyed by sold for reuse which spread infectious diseases.
Doctors said that purchase of medicine, machinery, parts etc. is not transparent as Rs32 billion has been allocated for this hospital from 2014 to 2020 in which Rs15 billion, almost half of the amount, was embezzled. Salaries and privileges are constantly increasing while the number of patients is declining due to poor quality of service, doctors said, adding that many fake banks accounts are used to embezzle donations and illegal promotions have become a frequent practice.
The hospital is facing a shortage of medicine, surgical tools and other items while the lower staff is in trouble due to non-payment of salaries and allowances. Staff Officer to the Executive Director NICVD Dr. Tariq Sheikh wrote a letter to the chief secretary and other top officials informing them about corruption worth billions of rupees and bringing to light twenty-seven banks accounts used for corruption and but no action was taken to improve the situation.
However, the whistle-blower was terminated which was a loud and clear message for others critical of corruption. Doctors working in the Jinnah Hospital informed that a number of fake FIR’s were lodged against Dr. Tariq Sheikh in different districts by the management of NICVD which proved to be with mala fide intentions.
Dr. Mughal said that corruption in the health sector can make the difference between life and death. It has severe consequences for access, quality, equity, efficiency, and efficacy of health services and is an obstacle to the long-term goal of achieving universal health coverage.
Quality of care is compromised by bribes, kickback schemes, and fraud. Many countries have recognised corruption as one of the major barriers to providing quality health services, he said. Patients may be charged for diagnostics and treatments that are fake or substandard or were not performed at all while kickback-driven referrals and unnecessary procedures have become a serious problem.
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President
Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW)
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