MADINAH — Police here are questioning a top official in the Department of Health Affairs for dissipating public funds, local daily Al-Madina reported on Sunday quoting reliable sources. The daily did not identify the official but said a probe was under way following an investigative report the newspaper published about the former Haj Terminal Hospital. The report showed the hospital near the Haj Ministry branch in western Madinah was completely neglected. New medical equipment worth millions of riyals were left unattended. It said the equipment were badly stored along with pieces of hospital furniture and other medical accessories. The source said the case against the official was submitted to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIP) prior to sending him to court. "The list of charges against the official included wasting public funds resulting from negligence and bad storage of expensive medical equipment, accessories and furniture, which cost millions of riyals," he said. Before it went down into oblivion, the hospital had special clinics for treating tuberculosis and asthma. It was also conducting medical checkups on the newly recruited foreign manpower. The 40-bed hospital built on an area of 2,500 square meters had a number of outpatient clinics, in addition to all support facilities. According to the Al-Madina report, the hospital was long deserted and dust covered the abandoned medical equipment, including modern hospital furniture. It said the hospital was rendering consummate medical services to the residents, pilgrims and visitors about eight years ago. The report included photographs showing the magnitude of the negligence and expensive medical equipment which could be used in other hospitals lying in waste. The daily said criminals might have been using the building for various purposes as food leftovers and a gallon full of benzine were found in its courtyard recently. Sameer Abu Jamil, assistant director general for engineering affairs at the Madinah Health Affairs, said the life span of the hospital had passed long ago and it was now being used for storing medical equipment. "The hospital was temporarily shut down to preserve the safety of the staff and patients," he said. Abu Jamil said a security guard was placed at the hospital to protect the medical equipment and furniture from theft. He said a new warehouse was being constructed for the upkeep of the unused or outdated medical equipment.
