Thursday, January 26, 2012

'Punjab hospitals give monopolised, untested drugs'


Auditor General of Pakistan has exposed a bigger health scandal involving Punjab's hospital.The inquiry conducted in the context of deaths due to wrong medication given by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology. The number of deaths due to PIC medicines has crossed an alarming 102 mark, as two more people lost lives on Thursday.
The AGP report says that Punjab procured medicines worth over Rs 130 million from a single company through a single tender. Not just that, hospitals tested medicines on patients in order to check their efficacy.
According to the report, untested medicines were given to patients in Dental Hospital and Jinnah Hospital Lahore, while Sheikh Zayed Hospital Multan administered untested eye drops and lenses to patients which caused them infection.
Dr Javed Akram, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, who is heading the inquiry team dealing with the PIC scam, said that certain companies have monopolies while certain medicines are administered in Pakistan because lab tests are not available or conducted.



Dr Javed said he should have been given a copy of the AGP report for him to be able to given a proper judgment.

No comments: