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MoPH investigating Balkh hospital price scam

MoPH investigating Balkh hospital price scam

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19 Apr 2020 - 21:00
MoPH investigating Balkh hospital price scam
author avatar
19 Apr 2020 - 21:00

KABUL on Sunday said it was investigating the purchase of tools at higher rates for a hospital treating coronavirus patients in northern Balkh province.  

The ministry’s reaction follows widespread criticism of the purchased items for the hospital in Balkh by social media users.

Head of the Coronavirus hospital, Dr. Syed Tamim Walizada, in a letter to the provincial Public Health Department has said the hospital needed beds, bed sheets, pillows, blankets, towels,  tea hotpot, glasses and kitchen accessories.

The Balkh Public Health Department has signed the letter and referred to the department concerned, which purchased the tools at higher rates.

One bed is priced at 23000 afghanis, one bed sheet at 4500afs, a pillow at 850afs and one tea hotpot at 5000 afs.

The price scam surfaces amid complaints about corruption in awareness creating campaigns and other costs to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Facebook user Omar Azizi wrote that pricing a bed at 23,000 afs was injustice with utilization of the budget to fight the deadly virus.

Balkh public health director Dr. Khalil Hekmati told Pajhwok that the mentioned things had not been purchased as they were already available at the department’s warehouse.

He said it had been explicitly mentioned in the letter that the equipment should be given to the corovirus hospital from the warehouse.

Without naming anyone, he said the equipment had been purchased under the former public health directors and the issue should be investigated. “Complete information in this regard is available in the public health department’s archives.”

Pajhwok tried to establish contact with former public health director Dr. Mirwais Rabi, but did not succeed.

Civil society activist Dr. Ghulam Rasool Malakzai said the government should seriously investigate the matter and bring to task those involved.

He said the list showed the items had been purchased at extremely higher rates than the original.

Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar said the list of the items had been published by the provincial Public Health Department  and the purchase of such items was provincial subject.

He said Public Health Minister Dr. Ferozuddin Feroz was personally looking into the matter and today held talked with the Balkh governor in this regard.

Mayar said result of their investigation into the price scam would be shared with the media.

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