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Saturday, January 28, 2012
18th Amendment blamed for patient deaths in Punjab* PML-Q Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar says 18th Amendment passed ‘in haste’, ‘we were forced to support it’
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Friday expressed concern over the deaths of patients due to “contaminated” medicines in Punjab, while a member of the Upper House of parliament linked the tragedy to the passage of the 18th Amendment.
At least 100 patients have died in Punjab in the last few days after consuming the “contaminated” drugs they had received from the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
The government devolved the Federal Health Ministry to provinces after implementation of the 18th Amendment. This, according to experts, has rendered the Drug Regularity Authority “ineffective”.
PPP Senator Muhammad Kazim Khan raised the issue of deaths in Punjab, blaming the tragedy on “negligence” of the officials concerned. He suggested a resolution be passed and an investigation be launched to fix responsibility.
The PML-Q’s Nilofar Bakhtiar said those who had prepared the 18th Amendment were responsible for the deaths of the patients. “The 18th Amendment was passed in a haste and we were forced to approve it unanimously,” she added. She also regretted devolution of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and said a ministry on heritage had been formed in its place. Responding to Nilofar’s claims, Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Zahid Khan said the deaths in Punjab had no link to the 18th Amendment. “The Drug Regulatory Authority still exists at federal level and every province, except Punjab, has its membership,” he said.
PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said that it is regrettable that some people were not ready to accept the 18th Amendment. Health was a provincial subject but the federal government had kept it with the Centre by force. He said all health-related affairs had been devolved to provinces, adding that the [18th Amendment] implementation commission thought it was appropriate to keep the Drug Regulatory Authority with the federal government “so that quality of medicines can be ensured”. During the final phase of devolution process, Rabbani said, the federal government devolved Quetta’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital and Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital but it could not devolve Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. He said this hospital should also be devolved.
Rabbani said provinces could raise the issue of Drug Regulatory Authority in the Council of Common Interest, which in turn might ask the federal government to bring an act for the formation of such an authority.
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain told the House after the 18th Amendment, “people have started manufacturing sub-standard medicines in villages”. He said that the Drug Regulatory Authority should function at the federal level like “rest of the world”. Senators Waseem Sajjad, Muhammad Humayun Khan Mandokhel, Abdul Rahim Khan Mandokhel and Ishaq Dar also regretted the loss of lives in Punjab. They, however, supported the 18th Amendment. Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek referred the issue of deaths in Punjab to the Cabinet Committee on Drugs, and sought a report within 10 days.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk