Inspection team busts health facilities stocking expired medicines

Giving expired medicines to people is unforgivable, says team head

HYDERABAD: Sindh chief minister's inspection team raided various health facilities and warehouses on Wednesday and busted millions of rupees worth of expired medicines in stocks.

The inspection team began investigating the matter after residents complained about Umerkot's health department's supply of expired medicines in public health facilities.

During the visit, warehouse incharge Doulat Ali Kotrio was suspended and arrested. The police also issued warrants for two other suspended staff members, Ghansham Bajeer and Shuja Memon, of the health department's accounts branch.

"Playing with human lives by giving them expired medicines is an unforgivable crime," said Haji Muzaffar Shujra, the head of Sindh chief minister's inspection team.

The team also visited a district drug store near Hyder Farm, where the staff had burnt the expired medicines. It also recovered expired medicines from the store of a public eye hospital.

"I will take the convicted officials to the chief minister so that he knows how these departments are operating," he told the local reporters. He assured that the officials and staff members involved in this heinous crime will pay for their actions.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2015.