Drugs factory sealed; spurious injections, material seized

LAHORE

Chairman Chief Minister’s Task Force on Spurious and Substandard Medicines and Parliamentary Secretary on Health Punjab Kh Imran Nazir has said that during the past few months the task force has achieved many successes and raiding parties of the task force sealed an illegal factory manufacturing spurious Dorgesic injections and a huge quantity of raw material. These injections are used as tranquilliser by addicts.

Meanwhile, another team conducted a raid in Multan and confiscated spurious injections of anti-snake venom and 1,700 injections of Dezipam. He said the factory had been sealed and FIRs had been lodged against the culprits. He disclosed that value of confiscated material was about Rs50 million.

He disclosed this while addressing a press conference in the committee room of Directorate of Health Services on Monday. DG Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed, Chief Drugs Controller Shaukat Wahab and the members of raiding teams were also present on this occasion.

Kh Imran Nazir said all necessary steps were being taken to ensure provision of quality medicines to the people. He said drug regime was on the priority list of reforms, which were being taken in primary and secondary health department. He appreciated the raiding parties of health department on successful operation against spurious drugs trade. He said that in coming days drug inspectors would be provided all necessary facilities.

Replying to a question, Kh Imran Nazir said some pharmaceutical companies were working only to supply medicines to public sector. He made it clear that illegal business of spurious and substandard medicines would not be tolerated anymore and the government was ensuring quality drugs to patients.

Chairman Chief Minister’s Task Force disclosed that drugs regularity authority would be set up at provincial level. He said effective steps against spurious and substandard drugs should be taken and a vigorous campaign should be launched in all the provinces to eliminate this heinous crime.

DG Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed informed that during prequalification process 10 pharmaceutical companies had been blacklisted and on the request of Punjab Health Department their licences had been suspended by DRAP. Kh Imran Nazir said that important amendments to Drugs Act were on the cards through which fine and punishments were being enhanced for the culprits involved in this crime.

Kh Imran Nazir said that if any person died due to use of substandard or spurious drugs a case under section 302 may also be registered against the responsible. He shared some performance of Chief Minister’s Task Force. He informed that from January 2016 to July 2016 drug inspectors inspected 37,718 premises; collected 54,735 samples out of DTL declared 437 samples substandard and 29 spurious. Task Force teams sealed 1,768 medical stores/pharmacies and 158 FIRs were got registered against the culprits. He informed that the department sent 172 cases to the Provincial Quality Control Board and 3,397 cases were sent to District Quality Board. During that period Drug Courts imposed fine of Rs38,867,000 and a total 67 years and seven months imprisonment were awarded to the culprits.