Drug reaction could claim more lives: Dr. Javed Akram [DAWN]

LAHORE: Dr. Prof Javed Akram, the head of the investigation team probing the deaths caused by a cardiac drugs has said that at least 22 people have died due to sub-standard cardiac medicines and the death toll could further rise, DawnNews reported on Sunday.

Talking to the media at Allama Iqbal Medical College, Akram said that 110 patients were admitted at hospitals in Lahore due to the usage of these medicines. He said that 50 patients were in critical condition.

Akram said that the medicine may be contaminated with some heavy metal which gets deposited in the bone marrow and ultimately ends the body’s resistance.

“At present 110 heart patients are admitted in various hospitals of Lahore and the condition of 50 of them is critical. We have withdrawn the suspected medicines and sent samples for tests.”

Akram said the committee would investigate the deaths of heart patients which occurred due to a sudden drop in white blood cells, platelets and bone marrow damage.

“The problem seems to be with just one batch of medicines provided to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and that has been sealed,” Akram said.

Health officials said a centralised data collection centre has been set up to compile information on all heart patients and a helpline had also been provided.

He said that the medicine had been bought by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) in December.

He said that the team has asked the pharmaceutical companies about the record of the medicines and some 24,000 to 25,000 patients have taken those substandard drugs from the government hospitals in Lahore.