2.6mn afs embezzled in Ghazni Covid-19 fund

(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Medical equipment and medicines required for coronavirus treatment have been purchased at a higher rate for COVID-19 Treatment Centre in Ghazni province, Pajhwok Afghan News has learned reliably.

In total the equipment were purchased at 2,654,502afs higher rate compared to their normal market price.

Last year, after the spread of Coronavirus, the government allocated special fund for every province to deal with the pandemic. Ghazni province was given 60 million afs.

According to previous Ghazni government officials, 20 million afs were spent to deal with the pandemic while the remaining 40 million afs was returned to government treasury.

From the given fund 4.5 million afs were spent on purchasing machinery and some equipment that were helpful in the treatment of coronavirus.

Pajhwok has received documents and information regarding the purchase of medical machinery and equipment and compared them with market prices.

Difference with market price

A committee tasked to purchase medical equipment and machinery for the Ghazni Coronavirus Treatment Centre had purchased 42 different items at the cost of 4,556,212 afs.

Pajhwok investigation showed almost all equipment had been purchased at two times higher rate than market price.

A total of 4,556,212 afs were released for the purchase of these items while according to market price these items are available at normal market price of 1,901,710 afs.

As a result a total of 2,654,502 afs had been embezzled by relevant authorities in coronavirus fund allocated for Ghazni province.

According to a Medical Equipment Company owner in Ghazni, who wished not to be named, said the rates of these item were more reasonable in the past compared to its current market rates.

“We give you present rates, in the past these items were inexpensive. Now the prices of everything have jumped due to regime and other changes in the country,” he said.

Corrupt people should be punished

The residents of Ghazni province said previous government officials committed corruption in the coronavirus fund at a time when the pandemic was claiming precious lives.

They said people hoped funds allocated for the Ghazni Coronavirus Centre would be spend transparently but then officials committed corruption in the fund.

Niamatullah, a resident of Ghazni City, said committing corruption in coronavirus fund meant playing with people's lives.

He said now that a new government had taken over, it should make previous officials accountable who had committed corruption in coronavirus fund.

Another Ghazni City resident Noor

Haq, said current government should investigate all incidents of corruption that happened in the previous regime.

“New government officials should take action against previous corrupt officials because majority of them were still working in government offices.”

Officials' reaction

Ghazni Public Health Director Mawlavi Mohammad HanifMesbah said the government planned to hold previous officials accountable who were involved in corrupt practices and violated the rights of other people.

“I acknowledge there was corruption in the previous regime in health and several other departments. We have investigated all these corrupt incidents and would hold individuals involved in corruption accountable.”

He took a copy of Pajhwok investigative report regarding corruption that happened in the purchase of medical equipment for Ghazni Coronavirus Treatment Centre and said it will be shared with higher authorities.

He assured to investigate the matter and share information with the media when available.

It is worth mentioning that last month Pajhwok got some documents that showed massive corruption in the Ghazni Education Department where a computer worth 28,000 afs was bought for 40,000 afs.

nh/ma

 

No	Item	Quantity	Purchased rate	Total rate	Market rate	Total market rate	Price difference
1	MEDANIC CBC Machin	1	223680	73680	150000	150000	223680
2	CBC Machine	1	357680	187680	170000	170000	357680
3	ECG Machin	1	126225	98225	28000	28000	126225
4	Cardiac Monitor	2	164092	208184	120000	60000	328184
5	Pulse Oximeter Finger	6	4628	16968	10800	1800	27768
6	طبي پېش بند	200	430	52000	34000	170	86000
7	چپنه	30	400	6000	6000	200	12000
8	د ډاکټرانو لباس	10	700	3700	3300	330	7000
9	خدماتي لباس	10	700	4500	2500	250	7000
10	Gloves Examination	10	660	4300	2300	230	6600
11	PPE Kit	100	700	31000	39000	390	70000
12	Syringe Pump	2	24000	22000	26000	13000	48000
13	Pediatric Scale	1	3366	666	2700	2700	3366
14	Sphygmomanometer with Stethoscope	14	5042	42588	28000	2000	70588
15	Negate scope	1	3197	1447	1750	1750	3197
16	Sphygmomanometer with Stand	2	13500	20000	7000	3500	27000
17	Suction Machine	2	14305	11610	17000	8500	28610
18	Centrifuge EBA-200	1	6000	2500	3500	3500	6000
19	Hematocrit centrifuge	1	48000	41000	7000	7000	48000
20	Small Tube Rack	12	240	1080	1800	150	2880
21	Micro Lab 300 Merck	1	280000	95000	185000	185000	280000
22	Bed for Blood Collection	2	14000	16000	12000	6000	28000
23	Micropipette 10-100 micron	10	1800	6000	12000	1200	18000
24	Micropipette 100-100 micron	10	1800	6000	12000	1200	18000
25	Blood Gas Analyzer	1	495000	375000	120000	120000	495000
26	Chroma 2 Machine	1	170000	85000	85000	85000	170000
27	Wheel Chair	5	6500	21000	11500	2300	32500
28	چپرکټ	8	6900	24800	30400	3800	55200
29	Emergency Stretcher	11	9000	29700	69300	6300	99000
30	IV Stand	82	2300	90200	98400	1200	188600
31	کثافت دانۍ	2	10900	15800	6000	3000	21800
32	لاستی لرونکې تذکره	3	3366	4398	5700	1900	10098
33	برېښنايي سټریلایزر	1	27740	12740	15000	15000	27740
34	د سېروم فلزي پایه	120	5400	504000	144000	1200	648000
35	نالۍ او بالښت	120	2300	192000	84000	700	276000
36	روجايي	240	150	12000	24000	100	36000
37	Trocar Thoracic with chest tube 30ch	324	600	48600	145800	450	194400
38	Syringe insulin ice	396	396	89496	67320	170	156816
39	Trash Trolley	3	10900	27300	5400	1800	32700
40	Foldable Stretcher	10	3366	6660	27000	2700	33660
41	Gloves latex powdered single use sterile pair size 7.5	300	660	123000	75000	250	198000
42	Blood set	96	420	36480	3840	40	40320
43	مایع سفید کننده	40	165	4200	2400	60	6600
	Total rate on Afghani	Total amount on market price	Price difference in purchased items
	4556212	1901710	2654502

This report has been produced by Pajhwok and financially supported by UNDP and Denmark.

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