LAHORE: Following the discovery of a fraudulent scheme in which a number of cancer patients were purportedly given out-of-date medications at the oncology department of Mayo Hospital, medical officials seized these medications and readmitted some of the patients who had been released in order to prevent further harm to their health.
According to accounts, the hospital administration tracked down three of the patients who had been released and readmitted them to the cancer department as soon as the scam was discovered. They stated that a group of senior physicians, including oncologists, reviewed these patients.
According to the sources, inquiries were still on to identify further patients who may have been impacted, but neither the hospital’s upper management nor the pertinent senior physicians knew the precise count of cancer patients who were given the “expired medicines.”
Vice Chancellor (VC) of King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Prof. Dr. Ayaz Mahmood, attested to the fact that cancer patients at the Mayo Hospital were given “expired drugs.”
“Drug stock seized in raid,” and two storekeepers were suspended.
He informed Dawn that two storekeepers had been suspended by the hospital administration due to their incompetence. A five-member committee has reportedly been formed to look into the matter, according to the KEMU VC.
He continues, “The committee consists of Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad Butt, Dr. Qazi Mumtaz, Ms. Tahira Khatoon, the deputy nursing superintendent, Senior Pharmacist Sadia Khalid, and the audit officer, Muhammad Hifzan.”
He claims that because these medications may have an impact on cardiac health, the cancer patients who received “expired drugs” underwent a variety of diagnostic procedures, including electrocardiograms, to assess their overall health.
Nonetheless, according to Dr. Ayaz, these patients have not yet had any potentially fatal adverse effects from the medications, and their ECG results were confirmed to be normal. He continues, “We’re waiting on results from a few more tests to wrap up the investigations.”
A group of public health specialists, including pharmacists, allegedly visited the Mayo Hospital shop and other pertinent areas in the meanwhile and confiscated “expired cancer medicines.” He continues, “Some samples of the drugs that were seized have been sent to different labs for analysis.”
The official, who is requesting anonymity, claims the hospital administration is trying to hide the situation and has not disclosed how or when the patients were giving the “expired drugs.” He claims that, presumably in an effort to appease Punjab’s chief minister, they are also not interested in compiling the information of every cancer patient who is impacted.
The official claims that this is not the first instance of this kind, citing the Khanewal DHQ event from around a month ago, in which a few small patients allegedly perished as a result of an antibiotic’s expiration. A staff nurse was detained by the police after the incident, which sparked intense protests from physicians and nurses throughout Punjab.
In a similar vein, he stated that in September 2023, a drug’s reaction had adversely affected the vision of numerous patients in Lahore, Kasur, and other parts of the province, leading the relevant authorities to suspend the employment of numerous drug inspectors and other pertinent officials.
He stated that following examinations by the health and other agencies, the government had temporarily prohibited the production and distribution of the substandard medications.
