ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Health Dr Nadeem Jan said the sale and dispensation of the injection Avastin has been stopped after cases of adverse reaction were reported across Punjab.
The minister made these remarks after holding a meeting with the Provincial Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Care Dr Jamal Nasir. He said they decided to take immediate action and recall the injection causing adverse reactions.
The minister said that upon receiving information from the affected patient regarding adverse reaction, he immediately contacted the Punjab Health Minister and ordered an inquiry.
He said that FIRs have been lodged against two suppliers of the injection. He said that a five-member committee of senior doctors and experts has been constituted with the task to probe the matter from all angles and submit a report within three days.
“I am constantly in touch with the Punjab government and we will make sure that the matter is thoroughly probed and action taken against those responsible.” The affected patients will be looked after properly and all possible facilities will be provided to give them relief, the minister said.
Regarding the availability of medicines, he was informed that there was no scarcity of essential medicines in the province and adequate stocks were available. He said they are committed to bringing tangible improvement in the health sector.
It was revealed that the eyesight of nearly 40 diabetes patients was affected due to substandard injections in Lahore. The cases were also reported in other cities of Punjab including Kasur, Multan and Sadiqabad.
Punjab caretaker Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Nasir Jamal revealed that separate dealers were selling counterfeit injections in cities across Punjab. He added list of the people affected by fake injections is also being prepared.
He added that data on those selling the counterfeit injections in different cities of the province was being gathered. He said none of the operatives of the fake injection-selling network have been arrested yet.
The Punjab Health Department constituted a committee headed by ophthalmologist Dr Asad Aslam to probe the matter after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Chaudhry Manzoor complained that his brother and a friend’s eyesight was affected after receiving the injection.
As per the FIR against one of the suspects, Naveed Akbar, a case has been registered under sections 23 and 27 of the Drugs Act 1976 and section 30(2) of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Act, 2012.
