LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday fired the whole staff of Lahore’s Drug Testing Lab, replacing it with new team which is now being headed by new director, Dr Shafique-ur-Rehman.
Presiding over a meeting, the chief minister took significant initiatives to ensure provision of quality medicines by accelerating a campaign launched for the elimination of spurious and substandard drugs in the province.
Among the notable steps, the old DTL staff was replaced with fresh and professional team with a hope to make this lab one of the best renowned drug testing labs “not only of Pakistan but the whole world”.
“Due to disloyalty of previous staff, the drug test reports were being faked before for vested interests so we have wiped out this plague and will do every needful to nip this corrupted evil in bud from all other departments,” Shehbaz Sharif said while addressing the meeting.
“This new staff including director has been appointed at merit basis and trained under supervision of Punjab Forensic Science Agency and staff will be sent to foreign renowned institutes for more professional trainings,” he added.
Extending his best wishes to newly appointed director, the CM said that he has got a huge responsibility and hardworking, upright and honesty is expected at his part. In order to provide quality medicines to the public, Shehbaz said, the drug testing labs play a vital role but this public welfare project has been maligned by the connivance of old culprits staff. He added said that he himself will monitor progress of this project and expects new staff to meet all professional responsibilities.
About the approval for extension plan of the lab, the CM directed the officials concerned to present a final plan as soon as possible.
A delegation of British LCG lab experts, including senior scientist Alan Handley and Philips Stafford, also attended this review meeting.
Provincial ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Honorary Advisor Dr Umer Saif, additional chief sectary, sectary primary & secondary health, King Edward Medical College vice-chancellor and other senior officers also attended the meeting.
