Probe launched into theft of equipment in Shinkiari RHC

MANSEHRA: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has launched an inquiry into the theft of an ultrasound machine and other high-tech equipment from the Rural Health Centre (RHC) in Shinkiari.

“We have launched an inquiry as the ultrasound and other machines have been stolen from the only healthcare facility in Shinkiari,” Wajid Khan, the ACE circle in-charge, told reporters on Saturday.

Dr Tariq Jadoon, head of the health facility, lodged a formal complaint with ACE, demanding action against those responsible. Following the complaint, the ACE circle in charge, along with a technical team, visited the health centre and recorded staff statements.

Sources close to the investigation said the locks of the facility were intact, raising suspicion about how the equipment was removed. Officials suggested that insiders at the health centre might have been involved.

Patients have been suffering since the theft of the ultrasound machine earlier this week, while other equipment was reported missing in recent weeks. According to health department sources, the stolen machines had been donated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for patient care. Residents of Shinkiari expressed outrage over repeated thefts of donated medical equipment, demanding an impartial inquiry and strict action.