Srinagar: The enquiry committee constituted by the Medical Superintendent SKIMS to probe the embezzlement at the institute’s pharmacy department has failed to submit the report even though the deadline for the same expired more than a month ago.
Sources in the hospital said that many drugs and consumables were found missing from the Cath Lab Drug Counter as also around Rs 28 lacs.
The embezzlement came to fore after the pharmacists did not deposit the money in the institute’s accounts for more than a year.
While the enquiry was ordered by Medical Superintendent Dr Farooq Ahmad Jan on 26th July this year, it was directed to submit the report within 20 days, that is by 16th August.
The sources said that the SKIMS administration was tipped of about the embezzlement by an employee that pharmacy department officials were withholding money meant to be deposited in SKIMS accounts.
According to the financial code of the government every cash transaction is to be deposited in the hospital’s bank account and treasury on daily basis. “Holding of cash by a government employee is a case of embezzlement of government exchequer,” a senior administrative officer said.
Although, the enquiry order has named Pharmacist Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, the sources in the hospital said that Bhat has been used to cover up other senior employees of the department.
“Rs 28 lacs and huge amounts of drugs cannot be embezzled in a single day by one employee. It has been happening for a long time,” a senior official of the hospital said, wishing anonymity.
He said that the pharmacist has been blamed despite the fact that the drug counter was looked after by senior pharmacists and a senior faculty member in-charge Dr Ghulam Hassan Yatoo, who supervised the transaction of sold stock, then.
Dr Yatoo was transferred after the embezzlement and the charge was given to Dr Harood Rashid.
The sources said that although the administration is well aware of the fact about which employees are involved, however, they have failed to initiate any action.
Medical Superintendent SKIMS Dr Farooq Jan told The Kashmir Press that he has reiterated on the enquiry committee to submit its report immediately. However he failed to respond as to as to why the committee has failed to submit the report on time.