The Sindh High Court on Thursday extended its injunction precluding the provincial authorities from procuring hepatitis vaccine from the multinational companies at exorbitant rates till February 16.
The local pharmaceutical companies had approached the court against the authorities for rejecting their medicines and purchasing the same from the multination companies at inflated prices. In the petition, they submitted that their medicines used for treatment of Hepatitis-B and C were purchased and used by the various leading health institutions. They said the government had also licensed them to manufacture and sell the vaccine within and outside the country.
They said the Sindh government with malafide intention rejected their vaccines despite the fact that one of the vaccines, which the authorities had rejected on quality grounds, was the largest selling vaccine in the country. Moreover, he said, this vaccine was also produced by the only company in Pakistan having WHO recognition for its laboratory.
A single bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, adjourned the hearing till February 16 while extending the stay against purchase of the vaccine.
