Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday said if the concerned authorities had discharged their duties in an efficient manner, the deaths in Gujranwala due to the consumption of a faulty cough syrup could have been avoided.
Shahbaz said that the samples of syrup had been dispatched abroad for tests and the report was expected shortly. He said once the report was revealed, strict action would be taken against the guilty parties.
Addressing a high level meeting at Model Town, he said that if the Health Department discharged its duties with responsibility, such unfortunate incidents could have been averted.
He said that the Health Department must play a vital role in preventing such incidents in the future.
Furthermore, Shahbaz said that an effective mechanism was needed to test the raw materials used in the preparation of medicines. Moreover, he stressed that an effective check and balance system should also be adopted from preparation to supply of medicines.
The chief minister ordered the authorities to submit a report within two days on the implementation of decisions taken regarding the Punjab Institute of Cardiology’s medicine case.
