According to the report, any purchase of equipment exceeding RM10,000 must be done through application and verification by the Implants and Prostheses Committee.

However, 91 of such equipment were purchased without such approval by the committee.

The five hospitals were Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Kuantan; Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR), Klang; Hospital Sungai Buloh (HSB); Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB), Ipoh; and Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah (HSBYH), Alor Setar.

“Expenditure performance of the five hospital’s orthopaedic department were good because the allocation was fully utilised.

“However, the overall management of the orthopaedic treatment activities audited was less satisfactory,” A-G Ambrin Buang said.

The report, which was released this morning, also noted that 2,010 unused implants stock, valued at RM328,440 at HTAA and HSBY were still kept in the store unit of the Orthopaedic Operation Theatre.

The report also noted that the deposit payment for 876 External Fixator (EF) components valued at RM241,116, which were supposed to be paid before patients were discharged from the hospital, was not verified.

In his recommendations, Ambrin proposed for the hospitals to review the effectiveness of the Implants and Protheses Committee’s verification procedures pertaining to the purchases of equipment exceeding RM10,000.

Orthopaedic services are available in all 136 hospitals under the Health Ministry, where 22 hospitals provide orthopaedic services with sub-specialties, such as Paediatric, Spine, Joint Anthroplasty, Oncology, Advanced Trauma, Upper Limb and Hand, Foot and Ankle, and Sport Medicine.

From 2013 to 2015, orthopaedic departments at local hospitals received allocations totalling between RM923.68 million and RM962.82 million, the report said.