ISLAMABAD – National Assembly Standing Committee on Health on Friday asked the Ministry of Health to remove the entire stoke of unregistered tranquilisers and other drugs used for sexual amusement from the market. The committee, in its meeting held with Dr Nadeem Ehsan in the chair, was informed that these drugs were easily available because the former health minister had given the illegal quota of raw material in huge quantity to produce such medicines.
Dr Azhra Fazal MNA briefed the committee that the youths were badly affected by FA Taurine, one of the medicines, adding that it was a relax-cent medicine which was produced locally and used for sex purposes, but was not health friendly and its extensive use could prove life-threatening. The committee while taking strict notice of the issue asked Federal Secretary Health Nargis Sethi to immediately remove the medicine from market and ban it for future.
The secretary informed the committee that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had approved the service structure of All Pakistan Paramedical Staff Federation for which the Finance Ministry would issue a notification within a day or two. The chairman committee while reviewing the state of affairs of ministry after its devolution under the 18th Amendment said the NA body had agreed that it would request Mian Raza Rabbani, head of the Implementation Committee of the 18th Amendment, and the prime minister not to devolve the ministry.
The committee unanimously approved the Pakistan Medical and Dental Ordinance 1962 Amendment Bill 2011 proposed by Dr Doniya Aziz MNA. According to the bill, anyone who starts a new medical college without registration in Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) would be penalised for five years in prison and Rs 10 million.
