- Sources say DTL Lahore likely to be given under Indian company’s control
- Director says even though laboratory is not a loss making entity yet govt’s decision will improve its performance
Following Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s directives of outsourcing all provincial drug testing laboratories, the Punjab Health Department is all set to privatise its drug testing laboratory in Lahore to SJS, an Indian company, Pakistan Today has learnt.
As per law, an entity can be privatised only if it is running losses but in this case the Punjab CM ordered the outsourcing of all drug testing laboratories in the province citing underutilisation of machinery in most of the centres.
“The outsourcing will put the futures of over 60 employees of DTL Lahore at risk,” sources said, adding that the government should have instead focused on improving the situation with strict monitoring and vigilance but it was resorting to handing over the entire control to private companies.
Confirming that the laboratory was being outsourced, Lahore Drug Testing Laboratory Director Ajmal Anwar said that he had no issues with the government’s decision.
“The laboratory at Lahore is functioning normally and is contributing to the health department’s efforts to curb spurious drugs. However if the government feels it would perform better if it is given under control of a private entity, I would not resist any such process,” he said.
Commenting on reports of an Indian company participating in the bidding process for acquiring the laboratory, Anwar said that he was not privy to any such information.
Addressing a meeting on health sector reforms on April 29, Chief Minister Sharif had ordered authorities to expedite the outsourcing of all drug testing laboratories in the province. He had said that underutilisation of machinery worth millions of rupees was “cruelty to ailing mankind”.
However, sources in the health department said that although Shahbaz Sharif is known for his firm grip and steering command on bureaucracy, officials in the health department have seemingly been successful in getting away with their negligence.
“The pathetic condition of drug testing laboratories and several hospitals and basic health units speaks volumes about the state of affairs at the helm of the department,” said a source.
The source said that the Health Department had turned into an unbridled horse and the situation had reached the point where health officials had even ignored the CM’s directives of cooperating with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the campaign against spurious drugs.
A senior health official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that several officials had voiced concern over the chief minister’s decision to outsource drug testing laboratories to private companies but the government seemed hell bent upon “giving away” the establishments.
“We already have the required infrastructure and machinery in these laboratories. Rather than outsourcing these laboratories the government should take measures to improve their performance,” he said.
