The Supreme Court of Pakistan bench directed Punjab secretary health to apprise of the steps taken to stop the re-use of the syringes. The bench while hearing the matter of several deaths at Punjab Medical Institute due to use of spurious drugs, also ordered the secretary to make arrangements to stop the reuse of syringes keeping in view the arrangement adopted by Sheikh Zayed Hospital to sterilise the syringes and also the use of auto-destruct syringes.
The committee of medical experts, constituted by the court for recommendation to control Hepatitis, informed the court that hepatitis was spreading due to reuse of syringes. The bench asked the secretary health that hiring of doctors through Punjab Public Service Commission would suffer seniority of other serving doctors. The secretary said they are making new hiring keeping the senior doctors in view and they would not suffer with this policy.
The bench directed the committee to submit its report before the court about the status of the Sheikh Zayed Hospital. Justice Jilani remarked that they are trying to maintain coordination among all institutes of Sheikh Zayed Trust in Pakistan. The bench was informed that there is another SZH in Balochistan.
The bench asked the health secretary about the mechanism of drug testing. He replied that not a single laboratory in Pakistan is accredited with the Word Health Organisation. He said only one laboratory has its results according to the standards of WHO and that is in the private sector. He said the government is taking steps to improve this sector according to the WHO standards.
He replied in negative when the bench asked the secretary whether there is any legislation about the laboratories. Appearing before the court, counsel for Efroze Chemical Industries Private Limited, Karachi, submitted that the high ups were not providing them test reports of their medicines conducted from abroad. He said they would be able to file their reply after going through the reports.
However, Justice Nisar asked the counsel for Efroze that there was something wrong which caused deaths of so many people. He said once the judicial commission, holding inquiry into the matter, held the pharmaceutical responsible they must have to pay the compensations. He said no one but the common people suffered in this episode and the court would not leave them into the lurch.
Former head of PIC, Dr Muhammad Athar, appearing before the court against his removal by the Punjab government after deaths of 150 heart patients, submitted that he was removed unceremoniously. Justice Nisar told him that he could not directly move the SC against his removal. He has to avail other remedies in this regard. However, the bench said he can make some out of court arrangement with the Punjab government in this regard. The AGP said he would facilitate him in making such settlement. The court ordered the Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ausaf Ali to provide them reports of their medicines and adjourned the hearing for April 09.
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