The Punjab government has prepared a report for the registration of a fresh case against the owners of Efroze Chemical Industries, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The Advocate General (AG) Punjab Ashtar Ausaf, talking to The Express Tribune, said that the investigation report, which will be submitted before the Supreme Court, has revealed that the pharma company’s officials were aware of the toxicity of Isotab. The company showed negligence and continued the supply of toxic medicine, he further stated.
It is recommended, in the Punjab Government’s report, that a murder case should be registered against the owners of pharma company in lieu of the deaths caused by the toxic medicines, the AG Punjab elaborated.
Meanwhile a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report quashed cases registered against two pharmaceutical laboratories while confirming charges against a third lab.
The FIA’s 15-page report exonerated Mega Pharmaceuticals and Pharmawise Laboratories. A charge sheet, however, has been prepared against Alfalah Pharma by the FIA and handed over for presentation to the drug court. Alfalah Pharma was found involved in the manufacturing of drugs with an invalid licence. The report further revealed that their tablet Alfagril, which was supplied to the PIC, has been declared substandard in an analysis conducted by the central drugs testing laboratory in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th, 2012.
COMMENTS (6)
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@Pakistan politics: I think you need to understand the incident; Drugs made by substandard companies such as Efroze Company in Karachi killed people in Lahore. Why shouldn't the Punab government take action against the company? Do you think that Punjab government has control over how drugs are made in Karachi? I think that the CM is showing competence by holding the company responsible and making sure it doesn't happen again. That's why Punjab remains the best run province in the nation.
@Amjad: Completely agree.
Efroze needs to be heavily sued for criminal negligence.
Federal Ministry of Health was responsible for wholesale award of licences for manufacture of numerous drugs without the required exhaustive investigative and testing process in 2009 to 2010 by Federal Minister and bureaucrats of his ministry. Pharmaceutical manufacture should be a strictly regulated process by an independent regulatory authority and nobody including the Minister, Secretary Health, PM or even CM should have any powers of discretion to waive any regulatory process vital for lives of patients. Unfortunately Corruption within our bureaucracy has become a cancer that today threatens lives and security of our citizens. Of course Efroze is responsible and so is Sind Provincial Heath Ministry, PIC and Punjab Health Ministry.
Punjab Gov. is the most incompetent of all times, Instead of making poor pharmacist scapegoat u should be working on improving the standards of Drug testing laboratories
There are just looking for some scapegoat, no hope from PML-N.
I think that blame rests with the Efroze pharma company in Karachi and other pharma companies that made the faulty medications. Where in the world do individual hospitals, cities or provinces check the quality of medications manufactured in the same country? Nowhere. I agree with the Punjab government that pharma companies that made spurious medications should be held responsible. I am sure that accountability will be improved after this tragedy.