Saarc Medical Association President Dr Umar Ayub has accused the Health Ministry of using a banned Hepatitis B drug in the country. He said this in a news conference held at the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club on Sunday.
He said that WHO, (World Health Organisation) has banned a particular brand of vaccine after the deaths were reported in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Russia and Vietnam from this drug, but it was in use by the health ministry in Pakistan. Dr Umar Ayub feared that some deaths might have been caused here because of this vaccine and casualties might not have been reported because of poor reporting system in the county.
He also alleged the Health ministry not to follow WHO instructions and the vaccine was available in the market, and further that the WHO instructions notwithstanding the vaccine had been procured for the Prime Minister's programme for Hepatitis Control Programme.
Dr Umar threatened to take the issue to the court if the government did not recall the contract for the vaccine within three days. Business Recorder contacted Major General Shahida Malik, Chief of Health for the ministry's reaction regarding the issue. The officer replied that she returned from abroad on Sunday morning after six weeks and would reply after going through the case in detail.