SC summons DRAP chief in substandard stents case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed chairman, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and secretary Finance to appear before the court on July 7, in the substandard stents case.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar also summoned other authorities concerned, including all the respondents in the case on next hearing of the case.

The chief justice remarked, "I thought that we will hear a good news that the cost of opening a blocked artery will reduce from Rs0.3 million to Rs0.1 million, but I am surprised to hear that authorities did nothing.” He asked who was responsible for the non-implementation of the court orders.

Dr Azhar Mahmood Kiyani, head of the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology informed the court that price of stents could not be reduced as the value of dollar had increased against the Pakistani rupee.

To this the chief justice said, "I think we are standing on the same point where we were before and not moving forward.

Subsequently, the court summoned the DRAP chairman and secretary finance on the next hearing to present their stance before the court.

Meanwhile, theCJP inquired that why the cardiology hospital in Wazirabad had not been made functional yet adding there was no coordination among the cardiac hospitals, how could the matters move in the right direction in such a situation, the chief justice asjed the authorities. Further hearing of the case was adjourned till July 7, (Saturday).