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Medicine adulterated with large amounts of anti-malarial: Sharif
CM says antidote formulated, can reverse the affect of the drug overdose.
CM says antidote formulated, can reverse the affect of the drug overdose. PHOTO: NNI
LAHORE: With over a hundred dead, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif finally revealed the cause behind the fatal drugs on Wednesday. “IsoTab was found to be adulterated with an anti-malarial.”
In a press conference held in Lahore, Sharif informed journalists that the drug – IsoTab – produced by Efroze Chemical Industries, was found to have 50mg of an anti-malaria content, which the patients were given every day.
“The dosage is 14-times greater than the prescribed dosage which is 25mg a week,” Sharif said.
He said that the Punjab government sent out samples to European labs in order to find out the cause of the deaths. “We not only sent out drug samples to European labs, but also sent human samples, including traces of bone marrow and skin.”
Sharif said an antidote was also formulated which could reverse the affect of the drug overdose. “Without wasting a second, doctors, paramedics, pharmacists and health secretary of Punjab started to work on the antidote.”
“Folinic Acid or Calcium Folinade has been found out to be the antidote, which is available in the form of injections,” said Sharif. “We have obtained this drug in large quantities and supplied it to the hospitals. And if necessary, we will even import this drug.”
He said that experts believed that this antidote will show a positive sign and will save a lot of lives. “Last night, the first dose of this antidote was given to the patients and now, the second dose is underway.”
The chief minister said that he sent out letters to the concerned officials of the federal government in this regard. “We stayed up all night long to make sure that we get a grip of the situation as soon as possible.”
“We have told them to seize the spurious drugs and get rid of them.”
Sharif said that the forensic results were also sent out to the World Health Organisation (WHO) by European labs and that it [WHO] would also do what it could in the situation.
The chief minister said that the forensic reports were submitted to the Supreme Court and the judicial commission investigating the matter. “There should be no doubts remaining now as we have cleared out everything. The matter should not be politicised.”
Sharif also called for an “unbiased” investigation in the matter.
He also informed the media that the factory in Karachi has been sealed by the inspector general of Sindh police.
On the other hand, Express News’ correspondent Aamir Farooq reported that the company has not been sealed yet. However, a team of Federal Investigation Agency along with officials of health department has reached there.
FIA Deputy Director Akbar Baloch said that the team will go inside the factory to talk to the management and added that media was not allowed to enter the premises at the moment.
Farooq reported that there were chances that the company will be sealed after the discussion between FIA’s team and the management of Efroze Chemical Industries is ended.
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Reader Comments (38)
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Good Work Sharif Sb,
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I appreciate the steps now taken but it has already cost a lot. 112 deaths is no small thing
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i know people of this company & its people personally, it is very professionally manage ISO certified company, working experience over 50 years. i believe if anything did happen,then it would have been an accident and should be treated like one, not to politicised or make them a scape goat.
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so, are you gonna punish those who are responsible for 100+ deaths! anyone died with these medicines from those who manufactured it?Recommend
So the factory was in Karachi?!?!
Instead of playing provincial poltics, the Federal Government needs to devise a method to regulate this. The model to follow should be like the FDA in the US.
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Contaminated with Pyrimethamine, commonly used anti-malarial propylatic drug. Inhibits folic acid synthesis, which is essential for DNA and RNA synthesis. Acute bone marrow toxicity in chronic dosage, since bone marrow are rapidly dividing cells (hence DNA and RNA synthesis) in the production of blood cells.
Hence large doses of folic acid will reverse the toxicity very quickly. Will take at least 18-21 days for the white blood cells to return to near normal levels.
Blood transfusion would help to overcome the bone marrow production insufficiency, along with folic acid infusion until the patient’s bone marrow function returns.
How the heck it got into the production lot?
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hope it is true and actually happens,so that the toll dsnt increase. hope efroze is punished throughly
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I must admit that although I ain’t a PMLN fan, but when Shahbaz Sharif said that despite the federal government being responsible for the production of these medicines he doesn’t want to play the traditional politics and put all the blame on them. He should investigate till the root of the matter. Denounce him as much as you want but I think Punjab is lucky to have him as Chief Minister.
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Can the antidote bring back the dead?
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@kalia:
Careless, If it is a 50 year experience company or born yesterday. The ISO certification will be revoked.
Can you explain how an an antimalarial drug got into the active ingredient. Who did the batch quality testing, who was the process chemist, who signed the quality analysis report, and who released the lot for consumers.
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The company cited in the report is an established and well reputed company with track record of over 50 years. The loss of life is very tragic, and if the report is correct and corroborated through further tests, its an unfortunate accident and should be treated as such, rather than being politicised.
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great work by CM
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Awesome job done by CM Shahbaz Sharif. The guilty must be punished with severe punishment.
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We should appreciate Punjab government for producing an investigation report in a short time; I’m sure now Supreme Court will take further actions against the culprits.
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I like only one thing about PML-N & that is Mr. Shahbaz Sharif. I wish he was with PTI. God Bless you Mr. Shahbaz.
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It should be treated as terrorist attack.
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This is one medicine you are talking about. What about rest of them ? Our labs cant even test medicines on own ? CM during your reign you weren’t able to establish a single laboratory of international standards that can do tests which are being now done by European labs . Will you really punish responsible ? I don’t think so.Failed govt.
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@kalia …. It must be a very professional company. But death of 112 people should not be taken in a light way. It is a very very serious act of negligence and carelessness. It would be still a very light punishment if this company is permanently closed. But seeing the corrupt culture with no human values we have, i am sure this issue will be settled down after few weeks, because our nation will forget this tragedy.
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I know about this company and its management although the company is old but they are not recognized as quality manufacturer. As per IMS the company is very below in ranking but they are exporting products to no of countries. Time to check and test their manufacturing facility
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@John B
I Agreed.
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@kalia:
Obviously not anyone of your’s died! How extremely insensitive of you to ‘declare’ that it was an accident and should be treated like one and you are ready to provide your own testimony! In companies like this, there should be (and are) procedures in place just to avoid ‘accidents’ like this that took the lives of 100 some people.
If not, then I would call this murder and not a mere accident. What if God forbid, next someone of your’s dies of such adulterated drug (poison)? Killing more then hundred people and calling this an accident!! Doesn’t get any worse then this. I wonder how can 6 people even recommend your comment!!
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Company should be charged with accidental man slaughter. Its QA manager should be hanged.
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Let’s call it negligence instead of an accident. No matter how old the company is at the end of the day they’ve actually killed more than 100 innocent people. Moreover with the current drug inspection system just revealed after this incident took place, the accused company may have committed such negligences over half a century but on relaitvely smaller scale and never were caught. The minister on the other hand usually gets active when it doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing can justify his occupancy of so many ministries many of them as important as health ministry. No matter how many sleepless nights he has now; he cant improve his credibility as a health minister.
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Still, he’s not a doctor and he shouldn’t be a health minister.
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Anti-Malaria drug was mixed up in the life saving medicine in heavy dose and resulted so many painful death. This act might not be deliberate. Please study reason of such happening and make it public. There is a fishy thing also WHO provided SIMWASSTATIN drug 80 mg tablets unpacked just in a jar as news reported while normal dose is 10 mg daily for heart patient. The tablet if given had to be cracked in eight pieces with out crushing before taken daily dose…Recommend
My sympathies to those who lost their loved ones because of a corrupt industry working under the political protection it gets from a corrupt administration. People have become destitutes.
Will somebody ever do something about the increasing CORRUPTION.
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No matter whatsoever; company owners and responsible employees must be charged with criminal offenses. I’ve faith in CM Shahbaz; but unfortunately rest of our country’s elite politicians will make a deal with the owners of the company.
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As always too little too late. The most corrupt and incompetent chief minister in the history of Pakistan.
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@jibran:
Really? I would say “most intelligent, sincere and honest chief minister in the history of Pakistan”. I wish he remains CM of Punjab for next 20 years; and my motherland Punjab will be booming with success InshAllah.
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Great Job by Chief Minister..
But the question is that why company mixed such a high dose of Anti Malarial in required Cardiac drug..
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@Kashif Iqbal:
Could you say the same words for this chief minister if (God forbids) you were among the effecties? C’mon let’s put ourselves in the shoes of those who lost their dear ones and give it a thought once more !
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It only took over hundred deaths and irrepairable damage to the health of many more to find out that the lifesaving drugs were causing deaths! After several weeks and this many deaths some are still praising the drug manufacturer and the Chief Minister holding dozens of portfolios! Heart patients went to the hospital for care and not death. As soon as the first sign of this reaction started, all medicines should have been isolated and new different source medicines brought in.
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@adeel:
Sir my heart is crying for the affected families and I would never bear such negligence, no matter which political party is in power. My pro-CM comments are not related to those families who are suffering, my comments were in response to another comment. As far as punjab government is concerned, I’m satisfied with this report which is unbiased and non-political. Might be I’m wrong but I’ve good faith in current CM.
People are being killed in all other provinces and no one dare to speak for them; fortunately our Punjab CM atleast try to solve things; thats how I like him.
If my comment was bit out of circle; I apologize to you Sir :)
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Well done Shahabaz sharif. We are proud of you. We are very lucky that we have such a hardworking, dedicated and honest person CM of our Province. Gao bless you.
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Strict action should be taken against those who manufactured, supplied and approved this drug. Govt should establish a modern drug testing lab in Lahore.
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The key word here is ‘adultrated’. These big companies have connections with the big Guns. They are adultrating expensive medicines with cheaper additives to make an extra buck at the cost of poor consumers. Since it shows failure of the provincial government. the Federal government should take over investigation, if we have to save lives in future.
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It’s obvious that this company is just collateral damage in a much bigger game. It was an asset to the country and now has been chosen for this sordid deed, potentially destroying Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry.
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Being head of province you don’t have any responsibility?
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