Operation will continue against spurious medicines:Kh Salman

Lahore: Khawaja Salman Rafiq has said that operation will continue against spurious and substandard medicines in the province till its logical end. He said that cases will be sent to FIA against the owners of units manufacturing bogus medicines.

He stated this while addressing a press conference at the Directorate General Health Punjab. Vice Chairman Chief Minister Taskforce for eradication of spurious drugs Khawaja Imran Nazir accompanied him. Director General Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Chief Drug Controller Dr. Zaka-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary Drug Control Dr. Sohail Saqlain, Secretary Punjab Quality Control Board Azhar Saleemi and other officers were present on the occasion. Kh. Salman Rafiq said that Punjab Chief Minister has set up separate regional taskforces for South and North Punjab so that steps could be taken for eliminating fake and substandard medicines in an organized manner in the province.

Kh. Imran Nazir said that crackdown has been started against illegal sale of intoxicated drug and injections in Lahore and this evil trade will be eliminated within a few days. He said that Chief Minister Taskforce has started its work for the last two months and achieved many successes.

He said that district administration and police are fully cooperating in the operation against spurious medicines. He said that 3338 raids were conducted in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Faisalabad during the month of May and samples of medicines have been collected from 2602 places, out of which, nine samples were found fake and 27 were substandard.

Kh.Imrazn Nazir said that 142 shops have been sealed whereas cases were registered against 60 persons and 54 were arrested. He told that drug inspectors of Health Department have taken into custody drugs of 65 million rupees. He further told that spurious veterinary medicines worth 50 million rupees were also recovered from Sargodha the other day and arrested two persons.

He told it is orders of Chief Minister that instead of arresting labourers, owners of the factory manufacturing spurious drugs should be arrested. Kh. Imran Nazir told that the warehouse of Abbot Pharma was also inspected a few days ago where there was no cold chain system for medicines and a truck through which injections were being sent to other cities without cold chain was taken into possession and action was taken against the company as per law.

Replying to a question, Kh. Salman Rafiq said that the process of legislation has been started for making amendments in relevant laws and drug act for awarding deterrent punishment to the elements involved in the business of fake and substandard medicines.