Punjab Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir has said the basic objective of introducing amendments in the Drug Act-1976 is to ensure quality medicines.
“The manufacturing and sale of spurious and substandard medicines would not be tolerated at any cost and such elements would be sent to jail. Medical stores and chemists have no link with the drug act and they are being misguided by the vested interests,” he expressed these views while addressing a press conference in the committee room of Directorate General Public Relations, Punjab, on Monday.
The minister said the working on the amendments in drug act had been continued for the last one and a half years during that period more than dozen times consultation was made with all the stakeholders. He said earlier there was minor fine for preparation of substandard medicines and after introducing amendments in the drug act, six months imprisonment and heavy fine could be imposed for manufacturing substandard medicines while sentence of life imprisonment and fine of millions of rupees could be awarded to the manufacturers of spurious drugs.
The minister said substandard medicines in which prescribed quantity of ingredients are not included, these medicines are injurious for human lives and misguide the doctors. He said medical stores have no concern with the amendments of drug act which is meant for the manufacturers and Health Department has no dispute with the medical stores and chemists.
Kh Imran Nazir said the government is ready to provide safety-valve to differentiate between science and crime so that it could be decided whether there is a mistake or intention involved in making any substandard medicine. However, nobody can allow forcing the government to impose his or her choice, he added. He said herbal production units would also be regulated and they have to adopt the Good Manufacturing Practices and registered themselves with the DRAP.
Responding to a question, Kh Imran Nazir said: “If other provinces are not taking any step in this regard, this is not our responsibility”. He said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif wants to provide best quality medicines to people. He said the Punjab government has many times consulted with other provinces for diverting their attention to this very serious issue. He said nobody would be allowed to take law in his hands and close medical stores by force. The minister said police had been asked to deal with such elements with an iron hand. He said the situation is normalising gradually and big medical store chains were opened and the situation would further improve.
Kh Imran Nazir assured that the government would take every step and utilise all resources to maintain uninterrupted medicines supply to people.
technical training: More than 30,000 women have acquired technical training across the Punjab in one year. Sannat Zaar institutes have been established at district level for the welfare of women where they are trained according to their requirement.
These views were expressed by Director General, Social Welfare Bait-ul-Mall department, Punjab, Waheed Ansari while presiding over a meeting.
According to him, more women will be trained in every district with the cooperation of Tevta; so women can play their better role in the prosperity of their families, he added.
He said, on the occasion of Women International day, the crafts, Fine Arts and other things made by women will be displayed. Additionally, the goods made by women at craft centres under Sannat Zaar and NGOS will also be displayed on the eve.
Radio Day: Punjab University Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) Monday organised a seminar in connection with World Radio Day.
According to a press release, Hameed Nizami Press Institute of Pakistan Director Absar Abdul Ali, Assistant Professor CSAS Dr Abdul Majid, Head of Department at Department of Mass Communication, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) Anjum Zia, faculty members, MPhil/ PhD scholars of the centre and Department of Political Science were present.
The topic of the day was “Empowering Youth through Radio”. The speakers threw light on different phases of youth empowerment through radio. They were of the view that radio is more powerful than all other electronic media hence it could play more significant part to instruct and educate youth.