Medicines, together with surgical and laboratory equipment worth nearly Rs.

350 million was withdrawn from use within the year 2022, on the basis of being defective.Accordingly, defective medicines, surgical equipment and laboratory equipment worth Rs.

349 million, which had been issued for use at government hospitals, were discarded last year, as per the Auditor General’s report.The relevant annual report revealed that as there is no existing mechanism within the Medial Supply Division to check how effective certain drugs are prior to being issued to hospitals, such defects are identified only much later, when several patients have already been administered the concerned drug.Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s Department also revealed that by the end of 2022, some 1,331 positions for doctors, 77 dental surgeons, 2,034 nursing officers, 136 medical laboratory technicians, 68 occupational therapists, 126 pharmacists and 270 auditors were left vacant.The relevant report also indicated that nearly Rs.

36,192 million had been spent for the payment of overtime and holiday wages, amounting for 72% of the total expenditure for wages.