LAHORE-UNS: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said that the provincial government had withdrawn two batches of an allegedly adulterated eye drug — that resulted in the loss of eyesight for over a dozen diabetic patients, including a brother of senior PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed — and verification of the seized injection was under way to identify those responsible.
Several diabetic patients in Lahore, Kasur and Jhang districts had been administered Avastin injections to address retinal damage, but the doses led to severe infections, ultimately resulting in the loss of their eyesight.
The diabetic patients who were administered the drug developed a life-threatening disease, endophthalmitis, an inflammation of the inner coats of the eye, and the issue first surfaced when several cases of the drug’s reaction were reported from the Kasur district.
An investigation team of doctors have expressed fears of a surge in the number of affected patients after learning that the drug had been supplied to many trust hospitals, other health facilities and the local market.
Speaking to reporters in Lahore today, CM Naqvi emphasised that decisive action could be taken once the report of the incident was available, which he said was expected in 10-12 days.
He also stressed the need to determine whether the issue was related to the injection itself or the transportation process, adding that it was also important to maintain proper temperature for such medicines.
Naqvi explained that the injections were manufactured in Lahore and dispatched to Sadiqabad, which made it essential to pinpoint where the problem occurred.
The chief minister expressed concern about a lapse in government oversight, questioning how the drug inspector had allowed the sale to proceed. He also raised questions about the role of the healthcare commission in overseeing those activities in private hospitals, suggesting the need for self-accountability.
Naqvi underscored that addressing such issues required establishing and adhering to standard operating procedures (SOPs), stating that simply transferring officers would not solve the problem.
