A financial irregularity worth Rs40 billion has been identified at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi, The News reported, citing the audit by the Sindh Directorate General of Audit for the fiscal year 2023–24.
The audit report has raised concerns about potential corruption at the institute, prompting an immediate response from Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Pechuho. She has ordered a formal inquiry and established a two-member committee to investigate the issue.
The committee, comprising the Additional Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Health, has been tasked with completing its investigation and submitting findings within 15 days.
Despite the gravity of the audit findings, the NICVD spokesperson has downplayed the allegations, stating that audit observations are a regular part of all government institutions’ review processes. The spokesperson emphasized that the audit points raised in the report are part of routine checks aimed at improving financial transparency and should not be immediately deemed as evidence of corruption.
The NICVD clarified that several of the audit’s observations pertain to issues from 2017 to 2018, prior to the current Executive Director’s appointment in November 2023.
The spokesperson reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to transparency and vowed to address each audit point responsibly.
