Test report of cough syrups expected shortly:CM Punjab

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that calamities are the natural phenomena, however, preventive measures are needed to averted them. He said that had the concerning authorities discharged their duties in a proper way after deaths in Lahore due to the cough syrup, the regrettable incidents in Gujranwala would have been avoided. He said that the samples of syrup have been dispatched abroad for test and the report is expected shortly. He said that the responsibility will be fixed properly in the light of the report of the British laboratory and action would be taken against the guilty quarters.

He expressed these views while presiding over a high level meeting here at Model Town to review causes of deaths due to cough syrup and the situation created after it. Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Special Advisor Khawaja Salman Rafique, Chief Secretary Punjab, Acting IG Police, Health Secretary, Director General Punjab Forensic Science Agency and concerning officials attended the meeting.

The Chief Minister said that the loss of human lives due to the syrup is very regrettable. He said that had the Health Department discharged its duties with responsibility, such unfortunate incidents would have been averted. He said that every human life is very precious and every possible human effort should be made to protect it. He said that the Health Department should have to play its vital role in preventing such lamentable incidents in the future. He said that an effective mechanism is drastically needed to test the raw materials used in the preparation of medicines. He said that an effective check and balance system should be adopted from preparation to supply of medicines.

The Chief Minister ordered the authorities concerned to submit a report in two days on the implementation of decisions taken regarding the Punjab Institute of Cardiology’s medicine case. The meeting was told that the whole stock of cough syrups and the materials used in their preparation have been confiscated from markets across the province and no further case has been reported.