Substandard cardiac stents case: Cardiovascular issues left to inexperienced specialists, says SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday issued notices to heads of the National and Provincial Health Commissions in substandard cardiac stents case.

A three-member SC bench, comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, heard the case pertaining to imbedding substandard cardiac stents. The court also issued notices to all four provincial advocate generals. The court observed that cardiovascular issues were left to inexperienced specialists.

The court rejected the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) request to make NAB a member of the pricing committee. At the outset of hearing, the court observed that substandard cardiac stents were being used across the country. The court sought implementation report on National Interventional Cardiology Board (NICB) recommendations.

Azhar Kiyani, Chairman Life Song Devices Pricing Committee, said that the market was full of substandard stents. He said that inexperienced specialists were putting stents in the patients. Justice Ijazul Ahsan said that importing substandard stents should not be allowed. The chief justice said that the apex court ruled against the substandard stents. He observed that court orders and NICB recommendations were not being followed.