Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday asked for an inquiry report on the alleged distribution of spurious drugs to flood victims by the government in the year 2010.
The CJ further instructed the health secretary to apprise the court regarding steps taken in the light of an inquiry held in 2012 and action taken against those responsible.
Mureed Hussain had petitioned, through his counsel Aftab Ahmad Bajwa, against the distribution of expired and sub-standard medicines by the health department.
Additional Advocate General Ahmad Rauf informed the court that all sub-standard and expired medicines had been destroyed. Advocate Bajwa said however, these medicines had been destroyed in 2012 after the government had distributed these among earthquake victims in 2005 and flood victims in 2010.
Bajwa said the government had constituted an inquiry committee after the apex court took notice of the matter in 2010. He said the committee headed by DIG Major (retd) Mubasharullah had held the health secretary of the time, among others, responsible.
The petitioner said that drug inspectors had raided the medicine store at Jinnah Hospital in 2012 and found that expired medicines were being supplied to patients. The inquiry that followed had revealed that a batch of expired medicines had also been distributed to flood victims in 2010.
The CJ adjourned the hearing till March 27.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2013.