The mystery disease, allegedly generated by adulterated medicines, claimed two more lives of cardiac patients on Tuesday and the death toll reached 72.
All the patients died in government hospitals in Lahore due to low platelet and white blood cell counts after taking medicines for heart treatment.
Prof Dr Javed Akram, head of investigation team probing deaths caused by the drugs, said the death toll could cross alarming figure of 150 to 200.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said the probe team has asked pharmaceutical companies about record of medicines. He said some 24,000 to 25,000 patients have taken those substandard drugs from different government hospitals, including Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), in Lahore. He also said the factory providing substandard medicines should be sealed.
Dr Akram said many of the patients admitted to hospitals in Lahore due to the usage of these medicines were in critical condition.
It is worth mentioning that preliminary inquiry had cleared PIC of negligence while the tragedy was yet unfolding.
The Outdoor Patients Department of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology provides free medicines to the needy patients, but after using these medicines, a number of patients from various localities started pouring into city’s hospitals with complaints of bleeding from nose, ears and other body parts.
According to the report of drug testing laboratory, mega factory’s medicine naming ‘Cardiowason’ was found substandard because at the time of purchase medicine was perfectly alright but spots started appearing on the medicine with the passage of time.
Cardiowason is given to cardiac patients for lowering the cholesterol in the body. The authorities have sealed a part of the pharmaceutical company.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested owners of three pharmaceutical companies on charges of supplying spurious drugs, registering FIR against them and sealing medicine sections of the companies.
Moreover, the government’s Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) sealed factory of a local pharmaceutical company after the same substance was found in a medicine at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
A team of doctors is investigating the reaction of cardiac medicines and consequent deaths of patients which were registered with PIC as no solid fact has so far been established in this regard.
According to sources, the probe committee fears possibility of adulteration in cardiac medicines.
However, government authorities issued contradicting figures about the death toll with provincial Health Secretary Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan confirming only 31 deaths after two more deaths in hospitals, while the principal of the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) Dr Faisal Masood said 36 cardiac patients registered with the PIC had died of suspected drug reaction
in the Services Hospital alone.
The health secretary said the suspected drugs would be sent abroad for laboratory tests. However, provincial Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Saeed Elahi says no sample has yet been sent.
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought a report from the Punjab government while hearing a petition seeking action against those involved in the negligence.
On the other hand, heirs of the victims have demanded of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take a suo moto notice of the deaths in Lahore.
A large number of patients and their families gathered outside the PIC protesting over the deaths as nearly 200 critical patients are being treated at various hospitals of the city.
