Karachi:
Professor Tahir Saghir, Executive Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), denied allegations of financial irregularities, claiming that the Institute operates with total transparency and commitment to the public service.
Addressing the Express PK Press Club, Professor Saghir said that NICVD provides free treatment to more than 2,000 patients per day, including 35-40 Emergency angioplasties, as well as emergency cases from 1,000-1 200 and 800 to 1,000 OPD visits. “This is a high volume center, and our teams work day and night to serve patients,” he added.
Regarding accusations of corruption, Professor Saghir said that the NICVD is undergoing government and private audits each year. Although auditations are routine, he said all requests are answered with detailed explanations.
He underlined the purchase reforms, saying that before, only 20 to 30% of medical supplies have been acquired through tenders, while more than 90% of purchases are processed via the public Sindh digital system provides Regulatory Authority (SPPRA), minimizing human intervention. “This data is also shared with international organizations, including the IMF,” he added.
Refuting a report on human rights alleging 40 billion corruption rupees, Professor Saghir stressed that the total annual NICVD budget is only 9 billion rupees. “Where do the RS31 billion additional rupees come from? However, surgeries and drugs continued without interruption,” he questioned, calling the baseless and malicious accusations.
He cited the recognition of the Sindh government of the performance of the Institute, which led to an increase in the budget after the NICVD saved RS1 billion last year, followed by an additional RS2 allowance.
Professor Saghir provided an example of emergency decision -making, explaining that when the main air conditioning unit in the emergency district failed, the administration hired temporary cooling systems for 200,000 to 250,000 rupees to ensure the patient’s comfort, bypassing long tender procedures.
