Efroze Pharmaceutical has pledged before the Supreme Court to pay compensation to the heirs of 213 patients who died because of the tainted medicine. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
Efroze Pharmaceutical, held responsible for manufacturing the contaminated drug given to patients at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, has pledged before the Supreme Court, to pay compensation to the heirs of 213 patients who died because of the tainted medicine.
While this could bring some financial relief to the families, it cannot bring their loved ones back.
While the Supreme Court’s direction on June 6 to ensure payment of compensation was appreciated in legal circles, it is not clear what steps have been taken to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
The Punjab government had previously requested a judicial inquiry into the matter. The inquiry tribunal, headed by a judge of the Lahore High Court, had recommended strict action against the company management and others involved. It had also suggested that a task force of pharmaceutical experts be set up to conduct ‘current good-manufacturing practice compliance audits’ of drug manufacturers. Companies found lacking in this regard should be suspended. The tribunal had recommended that temporary workers should not be allowed in drug manufacturing and related activities. It had recommended that suppliers and distributors should transport heat-sensitive drugs in special vehicles.
“The present system of transportation of drugs in trucks that have no temperature control, must be discontinued,” the report read. Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi should act as consultants for the establishment of a model pharmacy at the PIC. The hospital should have professional administrators with no direct responsibility for clinical work, said the tribunal. It had also suggested that the Punjab government set up a separate hierarchy and service structure for pharmacists and a separate pharmacy directorate.
The tribunal had suggested that the government invest a substantial amount of money to acquire modern equipment, hire qualified personnel and build the capacity of its “ill-equipped and under-staffed” drug-testing laboratory.
Six months later, the tribunal’s recommendations are yet to be implemented.
Another compensation
On June 7, a single bench of the LHC issued notices to the federal government and Punjab governor on a petition by 28 persons affected in the Joseph Colony arson, regarding the compensation announced by the federal government.
The petitioners had submitted that the federal government had announced compensation of Rs500,000 for each household affected in the incident.
They said the compensation money was to be distributed through the Punjab governor. They accused the governor of distributing compensation on the basis of political affiliation.
Singh
A single-member judicial commission comprising Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi of the Lahore High Court visited Kot Lakhpat jail on Saturday and collected complete records of convicted Indian spy Sarabjit Singh, who was beaten to death by prison inmates. Justice Naqvi also visited the block and cell Singh had been incarcerated in and interviewed some prisoners regarding the matter.
The commission has issued notices to Singh’s family, through the ministry of foreign affairs, to record their statements and to produce the evidence related to the incident. Pakistani witnesses in the case were summoned for June 10 (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2013.
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