FIRs have also been registered against them on directions of Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
The companies that supplied the medicines include Alfalah Pharma (Pvt) Limited, Mega Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd and Pharmawise Laboratories (Pvt) Ltd.
Meanwhile, names of four drugs have been made public on the official website of Punjab health department and practitioners have been directed not to prescribe them.
The names include Cardiovestin (Simvastatin), Alfagril (Clopidogrel), Concort (Amlodipine) and Soloprin (Asprin). The medicines, consultants have been told, must not be prescribed until a probe into the matter is concluded.
The Federal Inspectors of Drugs and an FIA team have also visited the PIC for examining the medicines and other records and recording statements of PIC officials as well as of the victims’ relatives.
SHO put on notice
A district and sessions court has put Shadman SHO on notice in a petition seeking registration of a case against hospital workers who purchased substandard medicines that have so far killed 32 people.
Hearing the petition on Monday, Additional District and Sessions Judge Arif Hameed Shaikh directed the SHO to submit a reply by January 27. The petition seeks the registration of an FIR against the medical superintendent of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and the Punjab health secretary for their alleged involvement in purchasing the medicines which were later handed out to patients for free.
Petitioner Ahmed Raza contended in his petition that on January 21 he approached Shadman Police to register a case against the accused but the SHO refused. He implored the court that the management of PIC and its MS, in connivance with the health secretary, purchased substandard medicines which caused the deaths of 32 people, including the petitioner’s cousin Kareem Sultan. He prayed that the court direct the respondent to register a case against the accused.
Petition in LHC
Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court for a judicial inquiry into the deaths.
The petition, filed by Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique, states that over two dozen patients have died while dozens are in critical condition because of medicines provided by the PIC. The petition calls it a case of sheer negligence on part of the PIC administration for which they should be taken to the task.
He stated that the supply of adulterated or spurious drugs is playing havoc with lives of innocent citizens and the federal and provincial health departments have failed to act against those responsible. He said that a thorough investigation is needed into the matter so that responsibility can be affixed. He further said that the license of the responsible pharmaceutical companies should also be cancelled. He has requested that the court constitutes a judicial commission.
COMMENTS (20)
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it is pakistan, nothing will happen except TV discussions. Case will be closed in three months.
@Dr mohammed hussain Naqvi:actually FIR is needed against PM because licenses to such companies are issued by ministry of health which is under controll of PM.so real culprit is federal govt not the provincial one.
@Haseeb Khan "Pakistani people should stop bickering and keep voting for these idiot governments."
It would be better if you said that Pakistani people should continue bickering and STOP voting for these idiot governments.
And WADAY Mian Sab off to London for medical checkup ... No wonder why! All politicians should br denied medical treatment abroad that's the only way they will built some good hospitals ..
As far as I know, there are above 20 ministries under the belt of CM Punjab including Health. Why not straight away book him on criminal charges. First it was dengue and now medicines of death. Where are CJ of LHC and CJ of SC??? Courts are only after those cases which has nothing to do with ordinary citizens of our country.
We are taking all our decisions based on assumptions. In case there is a problem with some products why arent their reports being made public. Why does it look like a multinational plot?? Can our masses afford drugs from multinationals??? There might be some black sheeps but a lot of good pakistani companies have played a major role in ensuring that the masses have access to quality and affordable drugs.
Why dont we think about the decision that the Government of Punjab has decided to buy Multinational drugs. Are we aware that ONE multinational company, M/s Reckitt Benckiser has been forced closed by the Health Authorities since more than 50 batches of this company failed.
Problems can happen everywhere. Lets not bring the entire national industry down. I have heard that there are problems with Mega, Pharmawise and Alfalah and honestly we, in the medical profession dont even know the name of these companies however they are trying to pull in the name of some good companies who have played a major role in the development of the Pharmaceutical sector of Pakistan.
We need to keep our eyes open and see who is planning what and why is it happening.
It is strange to notice than this is the first time the names of these drugs have been mentioned in the media, and even now the name of the drug company is being kept hidden. The pharmaceutical companies are earning billions through these medicines and probably now they are shunting out a lot of that money to save their names. In a country where no pharmaceutical company is required to do any research and safety profiles on their medicines before launching them in the open market, this will keep happening in future too. Pakistani people should stop bickering and keep voting for these idiot governments.
so sad, governments across the educated world take responsibility and people in higher offices would have resigned by now, but our CM saab is still shouting, " i will hang people upside down", simply pathetic!
70 have died so far
http://dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MiNOaWQ9NjE4Njk=
Very sad state if affairs!
Exemplary punishment must be meted out to the guilty.
The Health Minister should resign! This is the second lapse in the health service of punjab. Previously so many ppl died because of denge virus! If pak is a democracy n the rulers r democratic the health minister will resign. But i doubt this very much, because they only use the word democracy to fool ppl. In uk a minister has resigned for driving his car at a high speed. This is democracy!! One rule of law for all !!
Cases under section 302 CrPc should be registered against the Pharmaceutical Companies Owners, workers and the Staff who without verifying the facts that the medicines were substandard or expired after the manufacturing dates.
Severe punishment should be awarded so that nothing should happens in future and to save precious human lives.
Bad of the poor people that they have lost their trust and confidence on one of the most trusted hospitals in the Punjab province, I don't think there is a negligence involved in the purchase of these medicines. The Punjab government is taking good measures to provide the medicines to the poor people of the province free of cost.
Definitely not a supporter of Sharif Brothers, but the federal government issued their licenses.
So much for the fallacy of good governance.
When germs (dengue) and medicines, both, kill tens of citizens, then there is certainly something very wrong with the governance!
The actual figures are a lot higher. If the chief minister and his brother take the same medicines as the public, you won't see this happening. Sadly they themselves go to England each time they have a minor trouble.
Lets assume the Punjab Chief minister has a role here and he should resign
What is the name of these medicines? WHo is the manufacturer and supplier? I am guessing they are powerful people which is why they are not being named and shamed.
Case will be handled in a pure Pakistani manner. No responsibility will be fixed.