An inquiry into alleged financial and administrative irregularities at Peshawar’s Khyber Teaching Hospital has identified a gap of more than 135,000 laboratory tests between the number performed and the number invoiced, with the monthly financial loss estimated at Rs7 million. The Khyber Teaching Hospital corruption inquiry raises serious questions about revenue collection at one of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s largest public hospitals.
The inquiry report found that approximately 930,000 tests were conducted at the hospital’s laboratories, but invoices existed for only 794,000 of them.
The report stopped short of declaring the discrepancy conclusive proof of embezzlement. It stressed that individual test records must be matched against financial entries before responsibility for any wrongdoing can be established.
What triggered the Khyber Teaching Hospital corruption probe
The inquiry began after complaints that laboratory revenue at the hospital was falling. During the investigation, officials also flagged allegations that the records of around 100 patients were altered every day.
According to the report, patient records were shifted to the morning outpatient department so that tests could be billed at lower rates than the evening charges. Investigators noted that laboratory revenue rose by more than 130 per cent after the inquiry began, a jump the report treats as significant.
The inquiry further highlighted the absence of a barcode system in the laboratories, weak monitoring of billing, restricted access to software data and concerns that entries could be altered or deleted without a proper trail.
The inquiry officer considered the investigation incomplete and recommended that morning outpatient records be examined alongside the evening records already reviewed.
IT records allegedly blocked
Sources quoted in the report alleged that the hospital director barred the relevant IT section from supplying records needed for further investigation. The hospital administration responded that the laboratory software linked to Shaukat Khanum Hospital had been provided free of charge.
The report called for a comprehensive audit of tests, invoices, patient categories and receipts to establish the causes of the discrepancies and determine accountability.
Another blow to KP’s health sector
The scandal lands at a difficult moment for health governance in the province. Just this week, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government dismissed 30 doctors over fake PMDC registrations, as reported in our earlier coverage of the fake medical registration crackdown.
Public hospitals in Pakistan handle millions of patients every year on limited budgets, and gaps in billing systems have long been suspected of draining resources. The Khyber Teaching Hospital case shows how the absence of basic controls, such as barcode tracking and independent reconciliation of tests against invoices, leaves public money exposed.
For patients, the episode is a reminder that corruption in hospital billing ultimately comes out of the public purse. Whether the Rs7 million monthly loss proves to be theft, poor administration or a mix of both, the report makes one demand clear: a full audit must now follow, and those responsible must face the consequences.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Khyber Teaching Hospital inquiry find?
The inquiry found a gap of more than 135,000 laboratory tests between the 930,000 tests conducted and the 794,000 invoiced, estimating a monthly financial loss of Rs7 million.
Has embezzlement been proven at Khyber Teaching Hospital?
No. The report says the discrepancy is not conclusive evidence of embezzlement and stresses that individual test records must be matched with financial entries first.
What controls were missing at the hospital laboratories?
The report highlighted the absence of a barcode system, weak monitoring, restricted access to software data and concerns that billing entries could be altered or deleted.
What happens next in the Khyber Teaching Hospital case?
The inquiry officer called the investigation incomplete and recommended a comprehensive audit of tests, invoices, patient categories and receipts, plus examination of morning outpatient records.
