Committee seeks report within one month on out-of-order X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound and ECG machines; orders HEC degree verification and biometric attendance for over 10,000 KMC staff.
KARACHI: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) to investigate non-functional X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound and ECG machines and other equipment in numerous hospitals across Sindh, including several run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). It has sought an investigation report within one month.
The PAC meeting was held on Thursday in the committee room under the chairmanship of Nisar Khuhro. It reviewed KMC’s audit paras for 2024 and 2025. Committee member Tahir Ahmed, KMC Municipal Commissioner Abrar Ahmed Jaffar and other relevant officers attended.
During the meeting, the audit department objected that X-ray, ultrasound and ECG machines and other equipment had been found non-functional in several hospitals during the audit, including KMC’s Sobhraj Maternity Hospital.
The Medical Superintendent of Sobhraj Hospital said the X-ray machine had been out of order from 2022 to 2025 but had now been repaired and made functional. PAC Chairman Nisar Khuhro asked whether KMC had no funds from 2022 to 2025 to get the X-ray machine repaired.
Committee member Tahir Ahmed said the X-ray machine had remained out of order for four years, causing difficulties for patients, which reflected someone’s incompetence.
He added that in numerous other hospitals across Sindh, either there was no technical staff to operate MRI machines or the machines were deliberately kept out of order so that patients would get X-rays done outside.
Nisar Khuhro said the Sindh government was spending billions of rupees to provide free treatment and facilities to patients in hospitals, so X-ray machines lying out of order amounted to negligence by officers, which would not be tolerated.
He asked KMC officials how many hospitals were under KMC. Municipal Commissioner Abrar Ahmed Jaffar said 13 hospitals were under KMC and that services to patients were being improved through visits to the hospitals with the Mayor.
Nisar Khuhro said the CMIT should investigate whether X-ray machines were functional in KMC hospitals and in hospitals across Sindh.
Expressing anger over X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI and ECG machines lying out of order in numerous hospitals across Sindh, the PAC ordered the CM Inspection Team to investigate non-functional equipment in hospitals across the province, including KMC hospitals, and sought a report within one month.
Separately, Nisar Khuhro asked for a report and evidence regarding the installation of a biometric system for the physical verification and attendance of KMC employees.
He said the directive had been given so that biometric attendance could reveal how many employees were drawing salaries while sitting at home and how many were attending. He also asked why the physical verification of KMC employees had not yet been carried out.
The Municipal Commissioner said KMC had 10,000 employees and that the heads of all KMC departments had been instructed to carry out their physical verification.
Expressing anger over the failure to introduce a biometric system for the physical verification and attendance of KMC employees, the PAC ordered the verification of the educational degrees of all of KMC’s more than 10,000 employees through the HEC, the physical verification of employees and the introduction of a biometric attendance system.
It directed the Chief Secretary to ensure implementation.
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