Injection fiasco: Proceedings against 18 officials start

LAHORE The Punjab government has initiated proceedings against 18 officers/officials of Drugs Control under Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act 2006, on charges of inefficiency and misconduct in the Avastin injection fiasco, which cost eyesight of 66 patients.

The Secretary of P&SHD, in a notification, mentioned that Avastin injection, contaminated during refilling and transportation, caused blindness to 66 patients including 19 in Multan, 10 in Vehari, eight in Bahawalpur, six in Khanewal, five each in Lahore and Kasur, four in Jhang, three each in Gujranwala and Rahim Yar Khan, and one each in Sheikhupura, Sialkot and Rajanpur. The CM ordered to proceed against the following drugs controllers, deputy drugs controllers, drugs inspectors and pharmacists on charges of inefficiency and misconduct: Sana Ullah, ex-Drugs Controller, Kasur; Atia Nawaz, ex-Drugs Controller, Jhang; Ameer Shahid, ex-Drugs Controller, Rahim Yar Khan; Rana Akram, ex-Drugs Controller, Khanewal; Ali Raza, Deputy Drugs Controller, ex-Drugs Controller, Bahawalpur; Javed Iqbal, Drugs Controller, Sheikhupura; Naila Arshad, Drugs Controller, Sialkot; Sadiq Hussain, Drugs Controller, Rajanpur; Usman Ghani, Deputy Drugs Controller, Bosan Town, Multan; Johnson Kamran, Pharmacist, Deputy Drugs Controller, Burewala, Shehroze Khan, Pharmacist, Deputy Drugs Controller, Mian Channu, Adeel Zain, Pharmacist, Drugs Inspector, Khiali, Shahpur; Rana Shahid, ex-Deputy Drugs Controller, Gulberg, Lahore; Amjad Farooq, ex-Deputy Drugs Controller, Bahawalpur; Sajid Mehmood, ex-Deputy Drugs Controller, Shah Rukan-e-Alam Town, Multan; Farrukh Saleem, ex-Deputy Drugs Controller, Sadiqabad, ; Danyal Ellahi, Pharmacist, ex-Drugs Inspector, Iqbal Town, Lahore; and Sher Muhammad , Pharmacist, ex-Drugs Inspector, Iqbal Town, Lahore.

In the light of the facts of the case, the CM constituted a two-member inquiry committee, comprising Saima Saeed (PAS/BS-21) as Convener and Babar Aman Babar (PAS/BS-20) as member, to hold an inquiry and proceed against the accused officers/officials. A Section Officer (Drugs Control-II), P&SHD is appointed as departmental representative. The accused are directed to submit their written defence to the inquiry officer within seven days. If they failed to submit their written defence within the stipulated period, it shall be presumed that either they have no defence to offer or they have declined to offer the same and have accepted the charges.

In case, the accused desire to consult any record on which the charges are based or is relevant to the charges, they may do so with prior arrangement with the Departmental Representative within three days of the receipt of this order. The inquiry officer shall submit report/recommendations to the Secretary P&SHD within 60 days.