Financial irregularities unearthed at Lahore's Services Hospital

LAHORE: In response to alleged financial irregularities at Lahore’s Services Hospital, the Punjab Health Department formed an inquiry committee, ARY News reported on Friday.

The Punjab Health Department formed an inquiry committee to investigate the financial irregularities in the purchase and sale of various goods from 2022 to 2024.

The committee, comprising four members from the health department, including convener Tania Malik and member Jawad Malik, has been tasked with examining the situation.

The inquiry committee has been given a timeframe of seven days to submit its recommendations to the health department.

Meanwhile, those responsible for the irregularities, including the MS, Director of Finance, and Cashier, will be liable to respond to the inquiry committee.

Last year, a junior clerk of the Services Hospital Lahore namely Arshad Butt turned out to be a millionaire.

The ACE launched a probe against the Punjab Paramedical Staff Association President Arshad Butt who had been appointed as a junior clerk – Grade IV government employee – in Services Hospital Lahore based on fake degrees.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the junior clerk is a millionaire whose monthly salary is just Rs57,000. The ACE investigators obtained five-year records of the accused.

During the past eight months, transactions worth Rs11 million were made into his bank account. Additionally, the accused owns an 18 kanal and 18 marlas land commercial property, whereas, two houses are under his wife’s ownership.

Further investigation revealed that Arshad Butt has also established a private laboratory near the Services Hospital in the Shadman area.

“An employee of the government hospital namely Abdus Samad is tasked to bring the patients to Butt’s private lab for sample collections. Later, the samples were tested at the Services Hospital’s laboratory at the government’s expense.”