Hospital medicine thefts persist despite arrests

Police have arrested two employees of the Lahore General Hospital for stealing medicines after the administration lodged a case against them. The case was registered on the complaint of the assistant medical superintendent against Mubashir Iqbal and Mian Hamid. The police said the employees had allegedly worked together to steal medicines from the hospital. They were caught red-handed with the help of CCTV footage, according to officials. Stolen medicines worth millions of rupees were recovered from their possession. An investigation into the case was under way. Antibiotics, gastrointestinal injections, surgical gloves, cannulas and central venous pressure (CVP) lines meant for emergency treatment were among the items recovered, according to hospital sources. Iqbal was handed over to police after hospital officials caught him with the government stock. He allegedly claimed during preliminary questioning that Hamid, a dispenser, used to call him to collect medicines. There have been repeated appearances of the same pattern in a major hospital despite inquiries and disciplinary action. Medical Superintendent Dr Farhad Hussain confirmed that legal action was being initiated against the suspects. The repeated incidents raise questions about whether existing safeguards are capable of preventing medicine pilferage. In March 2024, a junior pharmacy technician, Muhammad Hussain, was allegedly caught while removing government medical supplies. This was followed by another incident in July 2024, when a case was registered against Ahmed Raza for medicine theft. A more sophisticated problem surfaced in May last year when officials detected manipulation of patient records with medicines reportedly being issued against fabricated entries. The specialized healthcare and medical education department initiated an inquiry. In April this year, four people, including a technician, were accused of stealing medicines from the emergency pharmacy. The police registered a case while two dispensers were suspended and a security supervisor dismissed. The repeated involvement of pharmacy personnel also raises questions about access to medicine stores, authorisation and segregation of responsibilities between those who maintain stock records and those who handle medicines. Government hospitals procure medicines through public funds but weaknesses in stock documentation, physical.verification, surveillance and distribution can create opportunities for pilferage. In a robust system, every item should be traceable from procurement to the patient.