Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that drugs testing laboratory of international standard would be established in Lahore to ensure provision of quality medicines to the people of Punjab. He said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has already given approval to the establishment of the said laboratory for which a spacious piece of land is already available in Kot Lakhpat area.
He said this while talking to a delegation of Laboratory and Management Services (LGC), UK headed by Head of Regulatory Services Steve Wood and Key Accountant Phil Stafford here at Civil Secretariat. Besides Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik, Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. Ahmed Javed Qazi, Team Leader CM Health Roadmap Team Azaz Akhtar, Special Secretary Health Gulzar Hussain Shah, Director Forensic Laboratories Dr. Ashraf Tahir, Additional Secretary Drugs Control Dr. Muhammad Amin, Director Drugs Testing Laboratory Dr. Jamil Anwar and other concerned officers attended the meeting. Detailed briefing was given to the British experts regarding drugs testing and regulatory system of Punjab.
Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik informed that at present four DTLs working in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur whereas DTL of Rawalpindi is also near to complete. Kh. Salman Rafique said that drugs testing laboratories in Punjab have been upgraded and new equipments as well as trained human resource have been provided to these DTLs, however, due to heavy workload and the sad incidents in the past, government cannot compromise on drugs testing laboratory system. He said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed to establish DTL of international standard. He said that Punjab government would benefit from the expertise of British institution of LGC for establishing DTL of international standard in Punjab for which international experts from UK invited to come Lahore. Kh. Salman Rafique said that the purpose of setting up of DTLs is to ensure provision of quality medicines in public sector hospitals. Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik said that government of Punjab intends to establish a mechanism for random testing of drugs samples with LGC UK. He further said that Health Department would seek technical assistance of Laboratory and Management Services (LGC) UK in the field of infrastructure, equipment, human resource, standard of procedures, training of the staff etc. for setting up a drugs testing laboratory of international standard. Dr. Ahmed Javed Qazi said that Health Department needs cooperation of international experts for establishing a foolproof drugs regulation system to ensure quality mechanism for medicines. Earlier, Director DTL Dr. Jamil Anwar apprised the delegation of the up-gradation and performance of DTLs of Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur and Faisalabad. He informed that during current year, these drugs testing laboratories have analyzed 41319 drug samples, out of which, 784 were proved substandard, 183 spurious whereas 962 samples failed. British laboratory services experts would call on the Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday. They will also visit DTL and Forensic laboratories in Lahore.