AUDIT REPORT Several government clinics in the country have been found to be endangering the safety of patients by using sterilisation machines which have expired, some for more than eight years.

The first series of the 2014 Auditor-General’s Report found that eight autoclave machines from eight Nur Sejahtera clinics across the country had expired for between three and 100 months.

An autoclave machine is a pressure chamber used to sterilise equipment and supplies.

Every autoclave machine’s certificate of fitness must be renewed to ensure that it operates well and does not endanger users.

“The certificates of fitness for eight autoclave machines worth RM125,400 which are still being used, have expired between three and 100 months.

“The officer-in-charge did not examine the expiry dates of these certificates of fitness, which may endanger the safety of the users,” the report said.

The Nur Sejahtera clinics involved are located in Nusa Jaya (Johor), Kuala Kangsar (Perak), Sungai Besi (Kuala Lumpur), Raub (Pahang), Selayang, Shah Alam, Ampang and Klang (Selangor).

The autoclave machine in the Nusa Jaya Nur Sejahtera clinic had expired in June 2006.

The Nur Sejahtera clinics are under the National Population and Family Development Board (NPFDB) under the purview of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

The audit report stated that legal action can be taken against the board for endangering the safety of users as it had failed to renew the certificates of fitness.

Meanwhile, apart from the autoclave machines having expired, the audit also found that the procurement for the contraceptive and medication supplies at the Nur Sejahtera clinics was not well planned.

“The procurement for the first and second year totalling RM5.41 million has exceeded the contractual amount of RM1.13 million.

“The contraceptive and medication supplies were not handled by authorised medical or pharmaceutical officer,” it said.

The audit pointed out that the officer that receives and manages the medication supplies lacks the medical qualifications and expertise as required by the Poison Act 1952 (Revised-1989).