The Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) drug-death episode has taken another surprising turn as the doctors allege that nearly 55 percent of patients who had died in the entire episode were not using Isotab-20, the drug that the Punjab government has dubbed responsible for over 100 deaths, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The Punjab government sent samples of five drugs being used by affected patients to drug-testing laboratories abroad after the deaths were reported by the media. The labs in UK and Switzerland pointed out that Isotab-20 was the responsible killer drug manufactured by Efroze pharmaceuticals. However, Dr Nasir of the Punjab Young Doctors’ Association alleged that the Punjab government was trying to “hide” the other culprits involved in the episode and was trying to shift the blame to the doctors. He further said the government had seized the entire record of the hospital regarding the drugs and hence the doctors had no “proof”, however, “the initial enquiry completed by the PIC found out that other drugs including CardioVestin were also responsible for the deaths, but these were not highlighted and the entire issue was managed tactfully and in a hurry,” he added.
PIC former CEO Professor Azhar however said the enquiry report had found Isotab-20 to be responsible for the havoc, adding that he did not know who was spreading these ‘rumours’. However Health Secretary Captain (r) Arif Nadeem said foreign labortarise ahd labelled Isotab-20 to be the main culprit and that was the reason why an action had been taken against its manufacturers.
Meanwhile a judicial commission is probing the incident and statements were submitted by Dr Azhar and former health secretary Jehanzaib Khan. Senator Pervaiz Rasheed further said if the doctors were confident that these rumours were true then they should get their statements recorded with the commission.
If not Isotab, what is it?
