Expired medicine handed out in Thatta

THATTA: The health secretary has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the distribution of expired medicines in a relief camp in Thatta.

The committee was formed after an NGO distributed expired medicines in a relief camp set up at the Makli football ground.

The flood victims have protested against the administration. The health secretary also suspended Dr Jay Kumar who distributed the expired medicines among the flood survivors.

Taking strict notice of the incident, Provincial Minister Sassi Palejo has ordered the administration to check all medicines before they are distributed among the victims.

Earlier in August flood victims in Muzaffargarh rose up in protest over the government’s relief efforts. They had begun throwing the rice that they were being fed on to the ground, alleging that they – the hapless flood victims – were being given spoiled, foul-smelling rice.

Around the same time in a similar incident in Rajanpur, flood victims residing at a makeshift shelter in a
school were provided with spoiled food, after which scores of them fell ill. Refugees at the Rajanpur girls primary school had accused the administration of providing them rotten rice.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2010.0