LAKKI MARWAT: A government official was sent on compulsory retirement and two others were reported to high-ups for action after a gang involved in stealing medicines from the health department`s store was unearthed during a departmental inquiry in Bannu.

District health officer Dr Zafar Iqbal told journalists at his office on Monday that the medicines theft occurred last week when his predecessor had relinquished the charge of his office.

`On April 16, I assumed charge of the office and the store in-charge reported the theft incident the same day,` he claimed.

Dr Iqbal said that he immediately constituted a departmental inquiry committee comprising Dr Mustafa Kamal, MS Type-D Hospital, and public health coordinator of the district health office and tasked it with submitting report within three days.

`The inquiry committee revealed that Anees, a watchman along with two other officials of the district health office, and driver of a loader rickshaw had looted medicines worth over Rs4 million from the store,` he maintained.

The DHO said that the watchman confessed to his involvement in the theft before the inquiry committee and returned some looted medicines.

The official said a major penalty of compulsory retirement had been imposed on the watchman, while two other health officials were reported to the director general Health Services with the request to initiate disciplinary proceedings against them under efficiency and disciplinary rules.

`In case the remaining medicines are not returned, the loss to government exchequer will be met from the pension of the officials concerned,` he added. Correspondent