Lahore: Disclosures of mismanagement and corruption have come to light at Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi. According to the inspection report of the Special Monitoring Unit, most of the hospital’s doctors and paramedical staff were found absent from duty, while only two counters were functional despite the rush of patients in the emergency and OPD. The report said that 80 percent of medicines are not available in the hospital, patients are forced to buy expensive medicines from outside.
According to the report, the hospital’s toilets are unusable and the sanitation system is completely paralyzed, while the supply of drinking water has also been declared unsafe. The inspection team also revealed that lakhs of rupees are being collected as bribes from patients for surgery, and even Rs 90,000 was demanded from one patient for an urgent operation.
The report further stated that the staff abuses patients and uses mobile phones during duty. During this, the hospital’s DMS also threatened to arrest a member of the inspection team. The hospital is burdened with financial liabilities of Rs 440 million and no biometric system has been installed for attendance.
