A committee of medical experts had been constituted by the court for recommending procedures to control the spread of hepatitis 'C', status of Shiekh Zayed Hospital and the hiring, promotion of doctors. They submitted that before the court that hepatitis was spreading due to reuse of syringes.
The bench headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, while hearing the case related to the use of spurious drugs at the Punjab Medical Institute (PIC), ordered the secretary to make arrangements similar to Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH), where auto-destruct syringes were being used.
Doctors’ hiring, promotion
When asked if hiring of doctors through Punjab Public Service Commission would affect senior doctors, the secretary said a new hiring policy was being made which will be considerate and will not be against anyone.
SZH status
The bench directed the experts’ committee to submit a report as soon as possible about the status of the hospital. Justice Jilani remarked that they were trying to maintain coordination between all the SZH’s institutes working in Pakistan. The bench was also informed that there was another SZH in Balochistan as well.
Drug testing in Pakistan
When asked about the drug testing mechanism in Pakistan, the health secretary told the bench that not even a single laboratory in Pakistan was accredited by the World Health Organisation, adding that results from only one private sector laboratory were according to the WHO standards. He also said that the government was taking steps to improve this sector.
Afroze Chemical Industries
Appearing before the court, counsel for Afroze Chemical Industries submitted that the higher authorities were not providing them the test reports of their medicines conducted broad. He said the company would be able to file their reply after going through the reports.
However Justice Nisar maintained that since the judicial commission investigating the matter had held the company responsible for the deaths, the pharmaceuticals must pay compensations. Justice Nisar added that no one but the common people suffered and the court would not leave them down.
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