Fake stents: NA panel calls for cancelling doctors’ licences

Says action should be taken against those who sold and implanted substandard or fake medical devices

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel has recommended cancelling licences of doctors implanting fake stents while the Drug Regulator Authority of Pakistan said it would fix prices of stents being legally used in the country.

These prices would be included in the next pricing policy.

This was disclosed by officials of the authority during the meeting of a parliamentary panel on Monday.

During the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Khalid Hussain Magsi, members recommended that licenses of those health practitioners should be cancelled and FIR be registered against those who sold and implanted substandard or fake medical devices.

Dr Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti remarked that doctors implant stents of their own choice, hence it is the license of doctors who implant fake stents, which must be cancelled.

Drap CEO Aslam Afghani told the committee that the authority would fix prices for stents in its next pricing policy.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2017.