Twelve more people including women died of the ‘mysterious’ reaction being produced by a medicine provided to the heart patients by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology raising the total death toll to 26 on Saturday.
More than 150 patients have been admitted at different hospitals of Lahore including Mayo and Jinnah hospitals after reaction from medicines from PIC while the number of affected people and the number of deaths is also increasing sharply.
Meanwhile, the probe committee formed to identify the mysterious disease could not reach any conclusion even after two days.
Committee Head Dr Azhar said the health secretary has been requested to form a team to inspect the manufacturing and packing processes of the concerned medicine factories producing the suspicious medicines.
Most of the patients were admitted to Punjab Institute of Cardiology, after they had consumed blood-thinning medicines and had then developed this mysterious disease. According to sources, the disease has killed more than 26 people, a claim that has been denied by the Punjab Health Department.
A 48-member committee was formed under Lahore Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Prof Dr Javed Akram for investigating the deaths. According to Dr Afzal Shaheen of Jinnah Hospital, the symptoms of this disease include low count of platelets and white cells along with marks on the body. Some patients also bleed from various parts of their body.
Other members of the committee include PIC Chief Executive Prof Muhammad Azhar, SIMS Principal Prof Faisal Masood, Prof Irshad Hussain, Prof. Farzana Chaudhry, Prof Bashir Ahmad, Prof Farkhanda Kokab, Addl. Secretary Health Technical) Dr. Muhammad Anwar Janjua, Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Prof. Munazza Qayyum, Mufti Abdul Salam, Prof Nosheen , Dr Mubashir Attique, Prof Tahir Javed, Sheikh Akhtar Hussain and Ayyaz Ali.
Special arrangements have been made for the patients at the hospital.
Khan, while talking to a private TV channel, said that deaths due to medicine reaction were deplorable and strict action will be taken against the responsible. Provincial Health Minister Dr Saeed Elahi said the tragedy happened due to improper storage of medicines. Dr Saeed promised stern action against the people behind this mishap.
Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa had taken notice over death of people due to mysterious disease and sought reports from health department immediately in this regard.
PATIENTS POURING IN: Over 80 more patients of the mysterious disease have reported at different hospitals while five more have died, Mayo Hospital Addition Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Majeed said on Saturday. “Some 80 patients including 45 in Mayo Hospital and 35 in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital were referred from Punjab Institute of Cardiaoloy (PIC) suspecting dengue fever due to some alleged reaction by administering cardiac medicines which were provided by the PIC store,” he added.
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