Punjab health department under fire for spending billions on tablets for private firm employees

The Punjab Health Department has come under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that government-funded tablets are being distributed to Community Health Inspectors (CHIs) who are employed by private firms, rather than being permanent government servants.

According to a report aired by 24NewsHD, the Community Health Inspector program was initially outsourced to a private firm on a contractual basis, with the understanding that the firm would manage operational resources.

However, despite the outsourcing arrangement, the department has now decided to purchase thousands of tablets using public funds, raising serious questions about financial discipline, transparency, and governance.

In the first phase, the Punjab government has already procured 30,000 tablets at a cost exceeding Rs1.5 billion, placing a significant burden on the public exchequer.

Sources confirmed that these tablets will be handed over to temporary and daily-wage employees hired by the private firm implementing the program.

What has further fueled criticism is the fact that the private firm is already receiving a separate, substantial payment from the government for running the Community Health Inspector program.

Despite this, the cost of equipment and digital tools is now being borne entirely by the government, effectively shifting the financial responsibility from the contractor to the public treasury.

Critics argued that providing expensive electronic devices to non-permanent staff raises concerns about asset security, misuse, and accountability, particularly when these employees do not have long-term service bonds with the government.

Questions are also being raised about who will be responsible for the tablets in case of loss, damage, or misuse.

Moreover, officials have confirmed that preparations are underway to purchase additional tablets, even though the inspectors remain on temporary contracts.

This planned expansion is expected to inflate costs further, intensifying concerns over whether proper needs assessments and cost-benefit analyses have been conducted.

Governance experts and opposition voices have termed the move an example of administrative favoritism and poor oversight, calling for an immediate audit of the procurement process and a review of the outsourcing model.

They have demanded that the Health Department clarify why a private contractor is being facilitated with government-owned assets, and whether procurement rules and public finance regulations were followed.

The controversy has sparked calls for accountability at the highest levels of the Health Department, with demands for a transparent inquiry to ensure that public funds are being utilized in the public interest rather than for the benefit of private entities.

Reporter: Zahid Chaudhry