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Billions in dues from medical officers who quit service
The Auditor General has called for urgent action to recover bonds, fines, overpaid salaries, allowances, and loan balances amounting to over Rs. 1.2 billion from medical officers who had breached their agreements and left government service as of October 31, 2024.
According to the findings of a special audit, there has been a significant increase in the number of doctors quitting government service and vacating their posts, often without settling the required security deposits, fines, or other dues owed to the government.
The audit report noted that while the Establishments Code, along with the Procedural Rules of the Public Service Commission (effective from April 2, 2009, and revised on January 1, 2023), clearly outline how such matters related to overseas travel and resignations should be handled, many health authorities had failed to enforce these regulations properly.
Due to weaknesses in internal controls and poor follow-up, the audit observed that security deposits and fines were not collected on time, leading to delays and increasing the risk of the funds becoming unrecoverable.
As of October 31, 2024, the audit revealed that:
- Rs. 1,156,562,119 was outstanding from 705 medical officers who had violated their agreements with the government.
- Rs. 119,404,239 was owed by 116 officers who had not submitted their personal files for audit.
- Rs. 1,041,215 in excess salaries, allowances, and loan balances remained unpaid by five officers who had left the service without contractual bonds.
The report further noted that responsible officials had not acted efficiently or responsibly to recover these outstanding sums.
It was also revealed that specialist medical officers were often not given appointments relevant to their fields of expertise, personal files were poorly maintained, and no formal system was in place to verify the return of government assets used by officers who had vacated their posts.
Moreover, the audit found that Provincial Council Hospitals and Health Institutions had exceeded their authority by making appointments outside the powers granted to them, which are reserved for the Public Service Commission, the statutory body responsible for appointing medical officers.
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