Substandard drugs: FIA ordered to contact Interpol

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to contact Interpol in order to bring the owner of Pharmedic pharmaceutical company to Pakistan. The court also directed the FIA to freeze the owner’s assets and close his factory.   

Hearing a case on the supply of spurious drugs to government hospitals, a two-member bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Qaiser Rasheed observed all legal requirements should be completed to issue red warrants against the owner, whose company allegedly provided the substandard interferon vaccines.

In addition, the court ordered the provincial health department to make arrangements to buy quality vaccines for the treatment of hepatitis C, while directing the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to monitor the procurement. The K-P chief secretary and health secretary were asked to call an emergency meeting to make arrangements in this regard.

During the hearing, ACE Director Fayyaz Ali Shah informed the court an investigation into the matter had been completed, adding all hospital stocks of the vaccines expired in May 2013.

“We are in contact with Interpol to issue a red warrant against the owner of Pharmedic and efforts are underway to bring him back to the country,” maintained Shah.

Justice Khan also directed the ACE to make arrangements to recover the money paid to buy 1.1 million vials of the substandard drug. “If the company (Pharmedic) fails to provide the funds, its land should be confiscated,” he asserted.

Four people, including former director generals of health Sharif Ahmad Khan and Muhammad Ali Chohan, project director Dr Ghulam Subhani and storekeeper Mubarak Shah, were earlier arrested for allegedly purchasing the inferior vaccines.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2013.