DERA GHAZI KHAN:
The District Drugs Controller, Secretary of the District Quality Control Board, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Health have been suspended after exposing a massive medicine theft scandal.
Meanwhile, two arrested suspects are set to be presented in court today for further remand.
Punjab Secretary for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Nadia Saqib, ordered the immediate suspension of District Drug Controller Faisal Mahmood, Secretary of the Quality Control Board Muhammad Asif, and CEO Health Authority Dr Muhammad Idrees Khan Leghari.
The suspended officers have been directed to report to Lahore.
According to sources, the suspended officials had uncovered a large network involved in stealing and illegally selling government medicines.
Just a day earlier, five rooms at the District Health Office and the Basic Health Unit in Sarwar Wali were sealed, and a case was registered at Gaddai Police Station on the complaint of Drug Controller Faisal Mahmood.
The stolen medicines, worth over one billion rupees, were reportedly donated by the World Health Program and other health organisations but were never distributed to patients.
A significant quantity of the recovered medicines dates back to the tenure of Dr Khalil Ahmed Sukhani, who previously served as CEO Health in Dera Ghazi Khan and is currently the Program Director of IRMNCH Punjab.
The investigation is ongoing, with several more arrests of health department officials expected. Sources indicate that the case is being forwarded to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further inquiry.
