Counterfeit drug producers, facilitator: National Assembly body calls for trial by ATCs

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination in its meeting here on Monday vowed to ensure trial of the manufacturers of counterfeit medicines as well as their facilitator in the health department at the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) of the country.
The MNAs headed by Khalid Hussain Magsi in their meeting at Central Drug Laboratory (CDL) taking exception to the instances of fake as well as sub-standard medicines induced instances of morbidity and mortality in the country said these were unacceptable and had to be handled with absolute firmness.
MNAs including Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Dr. Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon, Ejaz Jakhrani, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Dr. Nisar Ahmad Jatt, Choudhry Muhammad Shahbaz Babbar also regretted the absence of concerned state minister as well as officials of health department, from the meeting, without any intimation.
They registered with concern that not only details sought about relevant issues, particularly those related to Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) during last two meetings of the standing committee in Karachi and Lahore were not provided but fate of recommendations forwarded by them continue to remain not known.
The Standing Committee members reiterated their "Zero Tolerance" approach towards compromised quality and standard of the drugs, medicines and vaccines available to the people of the country.