The Health Ministry may take disciplinary action against its officers who approved an early payment of RM708,220 for medical equipment not yet received, ordered by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, said its secretary-general Kamarul Zaman Md Isa in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.          

"The investigation committee, which was set up on May 19 to look into the matter has recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the officers who confirmed the equipment was received in order and approved the RM708,220 payment when in effect there was no such delivery," he said.      

The Ministry has also imposed a late delivery fine of RM2.196 million on the supplier of the Next Generation Communication System (NGCS) meant for a communication system upgrade in all hospitals and institutions under the ministry, he explained.     

The recent 2010 National Audit Report revealed the discrepancy in the acquisition of rehabilitation equipment for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, stating the RM708,220 payment for the order dated 2007 was made before the equipment was received.      

The report was also of the opinion that acquiring the NGCS was not beneficial to the Ministry as the system was delivered late and could not be fully utilised in 13 hospitals and institutes.     

Furthermore, it said the Ministry ended up paying RM3.22 million for a communication licence related to the NGCS which it could not use.   

- Bernama