The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has apprehended five individuals, including a doctor, in connection with the distribution of fake and unregistered medicines to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan. The incidence is part of an ongoing effort to combat illegal pharmaceutical activities in the region.
In a statement released by the FIA, the agency detailed that multiple operations were conducted across various areas of the regional capital and Shabqadar tehsil in Charsadda district. These operations led to the seizure of counterfeit and unregistered drugs valued at PKR 77 million. One of the significant raids occurred in the Gulbahar locality of the regional capital, where drugs worth PKR 43.5 million were confiscated based on information provided by the alleged suppliers.
Following the preliminary investigations, a doctor from the group of accused individuals was arrested. A subsequent search at the doctor's residence in Gulbahar yielded additional medications valued at PKR 28 million. Additionally, raids in Shabqadar uncovered fake drugs valued at PKR 5 million stored in various warehouses. The FIA has registered cases against the arrested individuals.
The agency emphasized that the case will undergo further scrutiny following the findings of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), which will examine the confiscated medications. This examination aims to provide insights into the nature and scope of the illegal pharmaceutical trade in the region.
The condition of health facilities in Pakistan remains poor, with several reports emerging regularly. In a related incident, a doctor at District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Karachi was suspended after directing a patient to a private laboratory for tests instead of using the hospital's facilities. This incident, reported by ARY News, occurred during a visit by the Commissioner of Rawalpindi, who also suspended two female chemists and a nurse for failing to perform their duties and referring a patient to a private laboratory.
Following the Karachi incident, the Deputy Commissioner made it clear that failing to provide necessary services to the public in hospitals would not be tolerated, ensuring that everyone receives the care they need within the hospital facilities. The Commissioner of Rawalpindi has instructed an investigation into Dr. Amjad Ali and others involved in similar incidents, and the DHQ Hospital has issued a notification directing the suspension of the doctor and other implicated staff.
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)
