Court was informed that Rs12 billion was spent on purchasing injections to treat
Hepatitis C.
PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday unveiled reports of embezzlement in the provincial health department indicating that billions of rupees were spent on purchasing substandard Hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccines.
A division bench headed by PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and comprising Justice Irshad Qaiser was hearing a suo motu case on reports of substandard medicines being supplied to prisons in the province.
The bench directed the director general of the provincial anti-corruption body to expedite inquiry and asked the K-P chief secretary to extend full support to aid investigations so that perpetrators can be brought to justice.
During the hearing, the bench told the director general of the health department Dr Muhammad Sharif and Chief Drug Inspector Sabir Khan that a total of Rs12 billion was spent on purchasing injections to treat HCV, adding that the vaccines were used despite unfavourable reports from a laboratory.
PHC observed that Interferon (HCV curing injection) and Ribavirin tablets (used to treat respiratory syncytial virus) received negative reports.
Dr Sharif, however, argued the tests were conducted at a privately-owned laboratory whose owner is a competitor supplier of HCV injections.
“You are playing with the lives of the poor. These people (culprits) need to be hanged publically,” remarked Justice Khan, adding that those injected with substandard vaccines could have also died.
The director of the accident and emergency department at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Dr Shiraz told the bench that besides the substandard injections, various other spurious drugs are also provided to patients.
He produced samples of medicines, gloves, substandard lignocaine gel before the court. These bore the stamp of LRH, indicating that health officials are guilty of the offence.
A senior pharmacist, Javed denied the allegations, saying the anomalies had been fixed.
The chief executives of LRH, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex told the bench that doctors were performing their duties according to the roster and court orders pertaining to purchase and procurement of medicines were being complied with.
The case was adjourned till March 13.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2013.
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