LAHORE – Five member committee headed by Medical Superintendent Punjab Institute of Cardiology Prof Azhar has started investigating the incident of complications among heart patients after the usage of cholesterol lowering drug cardiovastin provided free from the pharmacy of the health facility. The committee that also included Prof Faisal Masood, Prof Arif Mahmood Siddiqui, Prof Anwar Saeed and Prof Naveed Iqbal Ansari would submit its report within 48 hours. The PIC management has sent samples of the medicine for laboratory analysis and sought approval from the government for purchasing necessary drugs for the pharmacy in emergency without giving tenders.
According to the PIC management, health facility provided guidance to the patients through helpline. Besides that, the health facility also contacted 5000 patients directly and provided them information and guidance about the use of alternative drugs. The patients coming to the PIC for getting free medicine have to go back home empty handed as the health facility suspended provision of drugs from its pharmacy. The patients urged the government to make alternative arrangements at the earliest as purchase of costly medicine from the market was additional economic burden.
PIC suspended provision of free medicine from its pharmacy the last day after the patients taking cardiovasten of Mega Pharma for controlling cholesterol level in blood developed complications and started bleeding. After the episode, the PIC stopped provision of free medicine and suggested the patients to take alternative drugs from the market. It also counselled the patients to approach the hospital for guidelines regarding the use of alternative medicine. Other health facilities including Jinnah Hospital also stopped provision of free medicine from their pharmacies.