Free medicine: Lapse in quality control cause for fatal drug distribution, says PMA

PMA says disregard for seniority and merit in appointing medical institutions is affecting their performance.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) in a statement issued on Monday, declared that a lapse in quality control while acquiring medicines as the main reason for the deaths caused by drug reaction in the Punjab Institute of Cardiology scandal.

PMA leaders including Lahore President Dr Tanveer Anwar among others pointed out that the purchase of low cost and low quality medicines was the main reason for the current crises.

They added that disregarding seniority and merit in appointing head at medical institutions was affecting the performance of those institutions. Senior doctors were being overlooked while juniors enjoyed prime posts.

The association clarified that the health department was a technical department and bureaucracy had failed to run it. They demanded that the Punjab Chief Minister, and the Health Minister Shahbaz Sharif to hand over the health department to doctors.

They demanded the federal and provincial governments to establish a drug regulatory authority under the 18th Amendment. They further demanded the government to upgrade and restructure the drug testing lab(s), and to abolish the Autonomous Institution Act 2003. They said that appointments staff all medical institutions should be on the basis of seniority.