Drug theft from Peshawar hospital: Senate body summons NWFP chief minister for briefing on Rs 20 million scam

Taking serious note of worth Rs 20 million drug theft from a government hospital in Peshawar, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior has summoned NWFP Chief Minister to appear before the committee after 15 days and brief it about the scam. No one is above law and the committee has summoned the Chief Minister to give details about the scam, said committee Chairman Talha Mehmood while briefing media here on Saturday.
The meeting was presided over by Senator Talha Mehmood and attended by Senators Haroon, Azam Swati, Khaliq Pirzada, Kulsoom Parveen, Tahira Latif, Liaquat Bangalzai and Kamran Murtaza. The high officials of Interior and Health Ministries, Director General, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), drug inspectors of the four provinces and Senate Secretary Raja Muhammad Amin were also present in the meeting.
The committee Chairman showed the samples of spurious and expired drugs, which he had brought from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. He said that FIA Director General Tariq Khosa was asked to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report within 15 days to the committee. He said that the standing committee was informed that the officials of NWFP government found that the drugs, purchased for a government hospital, were being sold at a medical store of Abdul Market, Namak Mandi, in downtown Peshawar.
Chief Drug Inspector Naimatullah Khan raided the store on December 22, 2008 and found that the drugs were being sold. During the investigation, he found that drugs worth Rs 20 million were stolen from a government hospital of Peshawar. The inspector referred the case to the FIA, while the owner of the drug store and officials of hospital involved in the scam were arrested.
During the investigation the PA of NWFP Chief Minister telephoned the officials and forced them to release the accused and stop the investigation, which was declined by Naimatullah. Talha Mehmood termed the sale of spurious drugs as medical murder of people, who were using these drugs, saying that the people involved in tampering with drugs should be given death sentence for this heinous crime.
He said that the committee discussed the matter regarding the sale and purchase of spurious, illegal and substandard drugs on medical stores and in governmental and non-governmental hospitals across the country. Over 40 percent medicines, available at different medical stores and in hospitals, were either sub-standard or spurious, he added.
An official of Health Ministry admitted before the committee that only 0.3 percent drugs were found spurious across the country, adding that it was unfortunate that officials, who were supposed to stop this menace seemed to be helpless. The Parliamentary Committee expressed great concern when it was informed that after 2001 neither the new health policy was unveiled nor the previous one was revised.
The committee urged the Health Ministry to prepare new health policy at the earliest and ensure its implementation from next month, said Talha. He said the FIA was asked to initiate countrywide crackdown in collaboration with the Health Ministry and drug inspectors against spurious drugs. He said that the Ministry of Health was asked to bring the manufacturing of Homeo and Allopathy medicines under the purview of the law.
The committee took exception when it was informed that there was no legal formality for opening a medical lab in Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Islamabad. However, the NWFP government has defined legal framework in this regard. The committee was informed about the actions being taken against the manufactures, wholesalers and retailers of spurious drugs and expired medicines by the Ministries of Interior and Health and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The committee was informed that Health Ministry was establishing a Federal Service Drug Testing Laboratory with the cost of Rs 156 million to make frequent quality tests of the medicines. There are only seven testing drug-testing labs in Pakistan, which are testing a sample in 120 days. Courts have disposed of 6,983 cases related to drug counterfeiting, while 1,800 are still pending in courts, the committee was informed. It recommended to the Ministry of Health to control the price variation of medicine in the market.