Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a modern and foolproof system is being introduced for the procurement, supply and distribution of medicines. He said that the government has launched a campaign for the elimination of spurious and substandard drugs and that those responsible will have to perform their duties efficiently in this regard.
He said that there is a need for collective efforts to remove counterfeit medicines from the society. He said that it is time to meet the challenge of elimination of bogus and substandard medicines as well as theft and misappropriation of drugs. He said that the confidence of the people in politicians, judges, and bureaucrats will be restored only when they have the courage to speak the truth.
The Chief Minister announced a cash award of one million rupees to anyone giving correct and timely information about the units producing counterfeit medicine and that the informant’s name would be kept confidential.
The Chief Minister expressed these views while addressing a function to give cash awards and certificates to the officers and staff showing outstanding performance in the campaign for the eradication of counterfeit drugs in Model Town on Saturday.
He said that an ordinance was issued with the consultation of pharmaceutical companies in 2014-15 for the eradication of this illegal trade, but that this ordinance could not take legal form. He said that a draft law is being brought again in the next session of the Punjab Assembly and that stern punishment will be ensured to those involved in this business.
Referring to the loss of 125 precious human lives due to spurious drugs in Punjab Institute of Cardiology in 2010, the Chief Minister said that the medicines from the PIC were sent to a British lab, LGS within 48 hours for analysis which revealed that it contained elements of malaria. Shehbaz Sharif said that when the samples of medicines procured by the Punjab government last year were checked by a lab in Punjab, it declared 99 percent of the medicines as genuine but when the same samples were sent to a lab in Britain, it declared 33 percent samples as substandard. Therefore, Punjab government is introducing a modern system of procurement, supply and distribution of medicines.
He said that prequalification of factories has been held for procurement of medicines this year and an agreement has been made with pharmaceutical companies that the samples of their medicines will be analysed from a lab in Britain at their expense and if it came out to be up to the standard, the medicines will be purchased.
He said that it is still time to resolve to serve humanity and dedicate ourselves to this cause and that if all stakeholders decide to serve the ailing people, every hurdle will be overcome.
The Chief Minister congratulated Provincial Ministers Health, Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, Secretary Health, district administration, police officers and the whole team on their campaign.
He said that CT scan machines are being provided in government hospitals of all 36 districts of Punjab which will result in the availability of CT scan facility to the people at their doorstep round the clock. He said that the companies providing CT scan machines to hospitals of the districts will be responsible for their operation. He said that it will put an end to the practice of asking patients to get CT scan from outside the hospital by shutting down machines worth crores of rupees brought for hospitals. He said that machines for hospitals are purchased with a sum of billions of rupees but they remain packed while the patients are compelled to get CT scan test from the market.
The Chief Minister thanked the delegation of Turk Ministry of Health which was present in the ceremony and said that Punjab’s healthcare system would be improved with the cooperation of Turkey. He also expressed gratitude to Turk leadership for their cooperation.
Provincial Minister for Health Kh Imran Nazir said that an effective campaign has been started for the eradication of spurious medicines and 700 cases have been registered so far and a fine of crores of rupees has been received. He said that strict punishment is being ensured to those involved. He said that Punjab will be rid of the menace of bogus drugs through collective efforts.
Provincial Minister for Health Kh Salman Rafique paid tributes to all concerned institutions with regard to the elimination of spurious medicines. He said that work is being carried out for the uplift of health sector with the cooperation of Turk Ministry of Health.
Provincial Ministers Malik Nadeem Kamran, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Kh Salman Rafique, Kh Imran Nazir, Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, Secretaries Health, a delegation of Turk Ministry of Health and concerned officials were also present on the occasion.