News
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
SC seeks report from FIA over ‘deaths by faulty’ medicinesStaff Report
ISLAMABAD: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and comprising Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday sought a detailed report from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on the recent deaths in Punjab due to spurious drugs.
It is to be noted that the chief justice took suo motu notice on a note initiated by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani regarding the news of deaths of more than 90 patients under treatment at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) allegedly on account of either spurious drugs or wrong prescription of blood thinning and lipid-lowering medicines.
During the hearing, Punjab Advocate General Ashtar Ausaf Ali informed the court that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the deaths and had constituted an inquiry committee headed by CM’s Inspection Team Chairman Najam Saeed, and seven professors of various medical colleges in Lahore.
The court was informed that no doctor or owner of any pharmaceutical company was arrested on the direction of the provincial government.
Submitting the report, he said according to it certain consignments of drugs were received by PIC at certain stages, but the same were returned and never consumed. He said so far the cause of deaths was inconclusive, adding that the committee, after submission of report, is no longer functioning.
He said, on the request of the provincial government, the Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice had appointed an inquiry tribunal to ascertain the cause of deaths/ailments to determine whether the death were related to the drugs administered and procured from the PIC, Lahore.
The court observed that if drug reaction is established as the cause of death and ailment, then fix responsibility to lapses at each stage and make recommendations for averting such incidents in the future.
Federal Investigation Agency Director (Legal) Azam Khan submitted that three cases were registered regarding the deaths at PIC. Three owners of pharmaceutical companies - Chaudhry Muhammad Waseem, Chaudhry Nadir Khan and Dr M Tahir Azam had been arrested.
He said the FIA was not aware of the apex court’s order of January 30, wherein it was directed that the people arrested should be released on personal bonds. However, he said except Chaudhry Waseem, the owner of a pharmaceutical company manufacturing drugs without a valid license, the other two would be released.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk