Amid the prevailing 2nd COVID-19 wave with many craving for an oxygen cylinder at times, at least forty cylinders of the life sustaining gas have gone missing mysteriously from Sub-District Hospital Kupwara in north Kashmir prompting authorities to order probe.
Three staffers at the health facility have been suspended by the administration.
Quoting an official privy to the development, news agency GNS reported that the hospital administration came to know about the missing cylinders upon tallying while dispatching a consignment of cylinders back to Srinagar.
“It came to the fore during counting that at least forty cylinders were missing. The absence of cylinders was brought to the notice of Chief Medical Officer, who accordingly intimated the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara,” the official said.
He said that three storekeepers have been suspended by the CMO concerned for now even as a full-fledged probe to fix the responsibility against the erring employees has been ordered.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Imam-ud-Din told GNS that it has been “tentatively learnt that forty oxygen cylinders have gone missing from the hospital following which an enquiry has been launched to the fix the responsibility”.
The DC said there will be more clarity in the case once the enquiry is completed.
“If it happens that the suspended staffers are indicted post enquiry, due recoveries will be made from them,” he added.
The DC has asked employees to properly discharge their duties and utilize the government assets properly for the larger benefits of society.