PAC Criticizes Faulty Medical Equipment, Unregistered Medicines in Sindh Hospitals
KARACHI – The Provincial Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Nisar Khuhro, convened in the Sindh Assembly committee room to review key issues in the health sector.
During the meeting, Chairman Khuhro directed the Health Secretary to submit a report on faulty machines that have been out of service, while also ordering strict action against sellers of unregistered and counterfeit medicines. He further instructed the sealing of unlicensed medical stores operating across the province and the lodging of legal cases against them.
The committee was informed that Medical Superintendents (MS) in various districts had purchased medicines worth Rs 3 billion without issuing any tenders. PAC demanded detailed lists of these purchases along with the hospitals involved. The session also reviewed the health department’s audit findings for 2024 and 2025.
Chairman Khuhro raised concerns over non-operational CT Scan and MRI machines in divisional hospitals, including Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical College in Sukkur and Larkana. The Health Secretary clarified that while the MRI machine in Larkana remains non-functional, the CT Scan machine is operational. He alleged that some technicians deliberately disable machines so patients are forced to visit private labs, adding that action has been taken against the responsible staff, with further measures planned.
“Faulty machines in divisional hospitals are a serious performance issue,” Khuhro said, noting that patients face unnecessary financial burdens when forced to seek tests privately. PAC expressed strong dissatisfaction over the closure of equipment purchased at a cost of millions of rupees.
The meeting revealed that Rs 3 billion worth of medicines were purchased in 2022 and 2023 without any tenders. The Health Secretary defended the purchases, stating they were made under emergency provisions permitted by PEPRA rules, with 85 percent procured centrally and 15 percent locally.
Additionally, the PAC criticized inefficiencies at Dr. Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi and ordered a third-party audit to assess cleanliness and operational standards.
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