The Punjab Healthcare Commission has expressed its inability in initiating an action against anyone because no aggrieved party has filed an application or a complaint regarding the deaths of heart patients using medicines from the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Pakistan Today has learnt. The “half-baked” and so far ignored Healthcare Commission took upon itself the task of probing the incidents involving deaths of heart patients on Tuesday at the PIC. The commission including Chairman Justice (r) Amir Raza Khan, Dr Naeemudin Mian, Dr Amjad Saqib, Dr Riaz among others did a “fact-finding” on the ongoing issue of deaths in various city hospitals.
However, after a thorough fact-finding with the hospital administration, the commission members expressed their inability to act because, “no party including the government or the patients or doctors have launched a complaint with the Healthcare Commission which per its Act cannot initiate action on its own without receiving an application or complaint,” a member said. Furthermore, the commission said the hospital administration or the doctors were not responsible for the deaths and the matter came directly under the drugs regulations. “If a particular batch of medicines is defective, it is not the fault of the doctor who prescribed it. It is the manufacturing company’s responsibility… besides it is not the Healthcare Commission’s responsibility to try pharmaceutical companies and it has the mandate to probe cases involving doctors, health establishments and patients. Cases involving pharmaceutical companies come under the jurisdiction of drugs regulatory body which has to monitor goods manufacturing practices. The hospital on its part has followed all protocols to use the medicines,” a member seeking anonymity said, adding, that doctors could only be probed if a complaint was filed. Dr Amjad Saqib, another member on the commission, said the Act of the Healthcare Commission has been passed but rules were yet to be formed. “The commissioners appointed are only meant for strategic governance, they cannot get involved in holding enquiries…besides work still needs to be done on the commission to make it effective,” he added. Meanwhile, according to the spokesman of Health Department, nine deaths in Jinnah Hospital, 13 in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 38 in Services Hospital and nine in Mayo Hospital have been confirmed. Meanwhile, 174 patients are still admitted in various hospitals of Lahore including 37 in Jinnah Hospital, 13 in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 90 in Services Hospital, eight in Lahore General Hospital, 45 in Mayo Hospital and one in Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital.
