Karachi:
Professor Tahir Saghir, CEO of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), has denied allegations of financial irregularities and claimed that the institute operates with full transparency and an obligation to public service.
In a speech with Express Pakinomist, Professor Saghir said NICVD provides free treatment to over 2,000 patients daily, including 35-40 emergency angioplasties, along with 1,000-1,200 emergency situations and 800-1,000 in visits. “This is a high volume center and our teams work day and night to serve patients,” he added.
On corruption taxes, Prof Saghir clarified that NICVD reviews both government and private audits annually. While auditing is routine, he said all queries are responded to with detailed explanations.
He highlighted purchasing reforms and said previously only 20-30% of medical supplies were acquired through bids, while over 90% of the purchase is now being treated via Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) digital system minimizing human intervention. “This data is also shared with international bodies, including the IMF,” he added.
With the return of a Human Rights report, which claimed RS40 billion in corruption, Prof Saghir pointed out that Nicvd’s total annual budget is only RS9 billion. “Where did the extra RS31 billion come from? Still, operations and drugs continued continuously,” he asked, calling the accusations baseless and malicious.
He quoted Sindh government recognition of the institute’s results, which led to an increased budget after NICVD saved RS1 billion last year, followed by a further award of RS2 billion.
Prof Saghir provided an example of decision-making of emergencies explaining that when the most important A/C unit in the emergency department failed, the administration hired temporary cooling systems for RS200,000-250,000 to ensure the patient’s comfort and bypass long tendering procedures.
