Shahbaz inaugurates model drug testing laboratory

Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, while inaugurating the first international standard Model Drug Testing laboratory of the country, here on Monday, announced establishment of Punjab Forensic Food & Drug Testing Agency.
While addressing the inaugural ceremony, Shahbaz said this agency will help eliminate substandard and adulterated food besides spurious drugs and agri medicines and spray. Besides this agency will work as a totally independent and autonomous institution and will be free from all kind of interference. He said that laws will be formulated for this purpose immediately.
Shahbaz said that with the inauguration of the model drug testing laboratory, the foundation of a new system has been laid in the province which will be expanded expeditiously. He said that such a system is being introduced in the country which will ensure stern punishment to the elements engaged in adulteration in food items besides those involved in spurious drugs and substandard and bogus agri medicines.
He said that the mafia involved in playing with human lives through spurious and substandard medicines will be rooted out through deterrent punishment. He said that foundation of a new system has been laid with the setting up of the state-of-the-art model drug testing lab in Lahore. He said that an international standard drug testing laboratory has been established to eradicate substandard and spurious medicines and latest computerised equipment and machinery has been installed in the lab. He said that samples of the medicines will be acquired and analysed in the laboratory in accordance with international standard and the purpose of this model drug testing laboratory is to improve the standard of medicines in the province. He said that this laboratory is one of the best laboratories of the world and it is the most modern drug testing laboratory of the country.
Shahbaz said that staff working in the laboratory has got its training from LGC Lab of London. He said that the staff recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission and those receiving latest training from London will operate this lab jointly. He said that the scope of these labs will gradually be expanded.
Shahbaz said that unfortunately in 2010-11 about 100 deaths occurred due to substandard medicines in Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and the Punjab government was being held responsible for this but he wants to bring the facts to light. He said that he sent samples of these medicines to LGC, London and also to laboratories of France and Geneva but the People's Party government gave these samples of drugs to Federal Drug Testing Laboratory which gave a satisfactory report. Perhaps, he said, that it was due to the fact that production of these medicines was linked to the federal institutions. Had these medicines given to the patients been analyzed by any drug testing lab of Punjab, its result would perhaps not been accepted. He said that when the report of LGC, London was received it was revealed that the medicines given to heart patients were for the treatment of malaria and it also contained elements of malaria as well. Later, he said, the report of labs of France and Geneva also authenticated this report which made it clear that the local drug testing lab was a fraud and the people were being hoodwinked. Shahbaz said that instead of awarding punishment to the elements involved in the heinous trade of spurious medicines, efforts were made to save them.
He said, a milestone has been achieved today which will help in rooting out the mafia involved in the heinous trade of spurious and substandard medicines. He said that during his recent visit to London, he also went to LGC Lab after which its team came to Lahore and started work on the project of modern drug testing laboratory which has been completed expeditiously. He said that Health Department authorities of Punjab and LGC representatives should be congratulated on this achievement. He said that the scope of the modern model drug testing laboratory set up in Punjab will be extended to other districts as well. He said that there is collusion between the mafia producing substandard and spurious drugs and the corrupt elements of some government departments and they did not want that a modern drug testing laboratory should be set up in the province. He said that establishment of the modern drug testing lab in the provincial metropolis is a big service.