TIME TO PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON

With 60 deaths still to be accounted for, the Punjab government has decided to send the drug and blood samples to laboratories abroad to investigate the ‘mystery’ deaths that are being caused by a drug that was distributed free by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in a bid to fix responsibility of the debacle on someone.
Being severely criticised for a very centralised system in the absence of a health minister, the Punjab government in a high profile meeting on Monday finally decided to send the concerned drug samples to laboratories in Singapore and France in a bid to find out the cause of strange symptoms appearing in heart patients, many of whom have been admitted in different hospitals.
Despite the severity of the situation, the government initially probed the matter through the hospital and departmental committees, but the responsibility could not be categorically fixed on anyone with proof.
Many doctors claim that the drug testing laboratory can only tell about the active ingredient, while a pill is more than just active ingredient and also includes preservatives besides many other important components. Professor Javaid Akram, who is heading one of the committees to probe the matter, said nothing could be said about it beforehand, but it must be a “contaminant” which had reacted.
On Monday, however, the entire health apparatus was moved when the chief minister himself chaired a high profile meeting including politicians, top bureaucrats and medical experts to handle the situation. Before that meeting, the DG health also chaired an emergency meeting of EDOs to retrieve the medicines.
The CM also constituted a steering committee headed by Khawaja Salman Rafique. Members Assembly Dr Saeed Elahi, Khawaja Salman Rafique, chief secretary, Planning & Development chairman, secretaries of different departments, chief executive officers of the hospitals and senior doctors attended the meeting. Health Secretary Jahanzeb Khan gave a detailed briefing regarding the situation developed due to the reaction of medicines.
The CM ordered that all sub-committees be merged under the newly-formed steering committee, adding that the samples of the medicines should also be sent to two other countries and people should be informed about the symptoms through print and electronic media.
Constituting another committee under the chief secretary, the CM said the particulars of all patients who had taken medicines from PIC should be collected and teams be dispatched to retrieve the medicines and to replace them. He said that he will preside over a meeting on Tuesday in order to review the measures taken by the sub-committees for controlling the situation.
IN DENIAL: According to the health secretary, only 27 people had died of the mystery disease whereas 32 have been reported dead in the Services Hospital only. Private sources have numbered the deaths to over 60 deaths.
3 MORE DIE: Per details Maqsood, Noor Khan and Aleena died in different city hospitals on Monday.
OPP DUBS CM ‘QAATAL—E-AALA’: Disallowed by the speaker to discuss the issue of the deaths, the Punjab Assembly resounded with the slogans of ‘Qaatal-e-Aala’ over the government’s failure to deal with the disease and to control the distribution of fake medicines.
PPMA CONDEMNS GOVT: Meanwhile, Punjab Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association condemned the Punjab governments’ decision to seal a part of Mega Pharma. The PPMA constituted a 5-member committee to send the affected medicine for tests on their own. They said the stakeholders have not been taken on board. They further said the National Institute of Health will be sent the samples. Dr Riaz Ahmad of PPMA North said the government initiated action without waiting for the lab tests.
RELATIVES PROTEST: Separately, relatives of deceased heart patients took out a protest demonstration outside the PIC and demanded an action against those responsible for the deaths. They held banners and raising slogans against the accused. They also demanded that the chief justice should take suo moto notice of the situation to address their grievances.