KARACHI: Medical experts have raised questions over several cardiac patients’ deaths caused by drugs reaction in Punjab hospitals and demanded a comprehensive probe into the issue. Grief and concern were expressed across the country over the unfortunate deaths of more than 70 heart patients due to the drugs reaction in different hospitals of Lahore.

But the medical experts express surprise how this had happened and are pondering what could be the real reasons behind it. They said that investigations must be conducted to know whether these deaths occurred due to drugs reaction or otherwise. They said does not it mean that the deaths of the different patients in hospitals are being declared because of medicine reaction under a particular motive?

Some pharmacists raise a query that how it could be possible that the medicines of several companies showed such a reaction. While some other experts expressed apprehensions that may be this issue has been created to remove the misconception of transfer of the Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) to the provinces from the Federation. A severe dispute emerged after the transfer of the DRA to the provinces from the Federation under 18th Amendment. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (PPMA) opposed the transfer of the DRA to the provinces and due to this all the provinces, except the Punjab, agreed to keep the DRA working under the federation.

Some experts feared that in the present political scenario, pressure is being exerted on the Punjab government through the impact of drugs reaction. Whatever is fact it will come to the light after the laboratory analysis and detailed investigation.