ISLAMABAD   -   Senate House Committee on Friday was informed that federal capital territory has no proper drug testing laboratory to test medicines and a summary has been moved for setting up state-of-the-art laboratory.

The committee which met with Senator Mir Muhammad Yousaf Badini in the chair discussed procurement of a separate ambulance for Parliament Dispensary, amicable settlement on additional block of Parliament Lodges, delay in re-tendering of laundry and barber shops and verification of remaining sanitary worker at Parliament Lodges.

Briefing the committee, Executive Director Polyclinic Dr Shoaib Khan said that “In papers, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has a drug testing laboratory where only four persons are deployed without any testing equipments.”

He said that state-of-the-art such drug testing laboratory had already been set up in Punjab which results were 100 per cent accurate. Dr Shoaib revealed that even multi-national pharmaceutical company was found in manufacturing of sub-standard medicines. “Our national pharmaceutical company can compete with any multi-national companies,” he said.

He said that 15 non-sanctioned dispensaries including at Election Commission of Pakistan, P-Block, Federal Shariat Court, BBH were closed.

Doctor would remain available in all three shifts of Parliament Lodges Dispensary, he said. He said that fresh quotation was submitted to the Ministry for procurement of new ambulance for Parliament Dispensary.

As soon as, the Finance Ministry released funds, it would directly be purchased from Toyota company, he added. 

To a question, Dr Shoaib said that reshuffling was made in the Parliament Dispensary after receiving complaints of various members.

Contract would be awarded to standard pharmacy for provision of medicines to the Parliamentarians, he added.

He said that he had already banned the entry of medical representatives in the polyclinic during outdoor patients hours.

He said that mafia was creating hurdles in setting up of research laboratory for the last 40 years. Regarding verification of sanitary workers, the Committee was told that lists have been sent to the provinces for its re-verification.

The Committee also reviewed out of order lifts in the Parliament lodges. The Committee was informed that there were seven lifts in the lodges which had already completed their timespan of 20 years. The meeting was attended by Senators Kalsoom Parveen, Kauda Babar and Samina Saeed, CDA member engineering, Director General Works and other senior officials.