PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has begun an inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in the procurement of anti-cancer drugs last year and illegal changes to the tender process this year to favour a pharmaceutical company.

At the same time, the department put the tendering process for the supply of Rs1 billion worth of anti-cancer medicines for the year 2024-25 on hold until the completion of the inquiry.

A notification issued by the department said that on the approval ofthe competent authority,a three-member committee had been constituted to probe the complaints regarding “irregularities” in the process of drugs procurement for the Treatment of Poor Cancer Patients programme.

The committee to be headed by additional secretary of the health department Mansoor Arshad and comprising deputy secretary (drugs) Mohammad Ibrahim and assistant director (drugs) Fawad Alam as members has been tasked with producing findings within a week.

Puts tendering process for current year on hold until probe’s completion

According to notification, the committee will “identify the facts surrounding the alleged alterations and changes in Standard Bidding Documents and will inquire allegations of unauthorised changes to procurement documents (tenders and contract) and determine irregularities in the process. It will fix responsibility and recommend remedial actions to make the instant procurement transparent by addressing the anomalies if any.”

The committee has asked project director of the TPCP programme at the Hayatabad Medical Complex Dr Sher Zaman to provide the relevant documents to help it with the probe for both financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Thecommittee sought notification of the procurement committee with names and designations of the officers involved in the procurement for the said periods.

It asked the project director to furnish bid solicitation documents and attendance sheets of all meetings of committee members and bidders (including pre-bid) for both financial years.

The committee also ordered the production of minutes of all meetings and notice inviting tenders along with corrigendum.

The project director was told to send in a list of “firms that obtained BSDs after the issuance of advertisement for the year 2024-25 and bid evaluation reports for 2023-24 as well as to inform in writing about the appeals and grievances of firms about procurement and comparative statement of supply orders from 2023-24.”

“All these details shall reach the office of the additional secretary health department by Tuesday (Nov 19),” it said.

The TPCP programme was launched in 2013 to provide free treatment to blood cancer patients at HMC. It was later extended to all cancer patients.

Prof Abid Jameel, a former head of the HMC oncology department, had launched the programme that has so far benefitted around 10,000 patients.

However, after his retirement, the new project director came under criticism from pharmaceutical firms for allegedly “bypassing” them to benefit one company.

The firms alleged that last year, the contract worth Rs370 million was awarded to a firm through illegal changes in the bidding process while the same situation has emerged this year too.

Sources said that in 2024-25, many firms had alleged that changes have been made to give the contract to the same company due to which the department has formed a committee.

When contacted, TPCP project director Dr Sher Zaman insisted that all allegations were false and fabricated.

“The entire procurement exercisewas transparent and it will come into the open once the inquiry is complete,” he said, claiming

Meanwhile, the health department has extended the tender opening date for the current fiscal year to “prevent patients from suffering.”

The tender, which was to be opened and awarded on Nov 15, has been rescheduled to Dec 13.

Most pharmaceutical firms alleged that the rules were changed at the eleventh hour to keep them away from the whole tendering process and award the contract to a firm that won the same last year.

However, the project director rejected the allegation, saying records will prove him right.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024