PIC medicine: 890 people affected, Punjab government presents report to LHC

Deputy heath secretary tells court that 107 people have died due to the adulterated medicine.

LAHORE: A total of 890 people were affected by the adulterated Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) medicine, according to the deputy health secretary who presented a report to the Lahore High Court on Monday, reported Express News.

The secretary on behalf of the Punjab government told the bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandyal, that currently 330 people affected by the medicine were in critical condition, while 107 have died and 315 have been discharged from various hospitals across the province.

The bench inquired how the medicines reached the hospitals and ordered the secretary to present a report in the next hearing.

The hearing was adjourned till February 13.

Pharmacist investigating matter transferred

Pharmacist Bilal Yasin, who was investigating the matter of the PIC adulterated medicine, was transferred by the ministry of health on Monday.

Yasin had claimed that there was no record available on how the medicines were sent to various hospitals and neither was the affected batch of medicines tested from the Drug Testing Laboratory.

Meanwhile, two women lost their lives due to the drug reaction bringing the unofficial death toll to 137.

The dead include 70-year-old Bilquis Bibi who passed away at Jinnah Hospital and 59-year-old Rehana Bibi who passed away at the Services Hospital.