In a significant development, Dr. Jamal Nasir, the Punjab’s Minister of Primary and Secondary Health, revealed that two individuals involved in filling and selling Avastin injections in small syringes have been apprehended.
This revelation comes as part of an ongoing investigation into the potentially harmful injections. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Dr. Nasir disclosed that the initial phase of the inquiry concerning the impact of these injections on patients vision is nearing completion.
The Primary Health Department has commenced the collection of patients records on a dedicated dashboard. The exact number of affected patients will be determined and announced once the dashboard information is processed. As of now, 68 patients are on record, and this figure may rise by an additional 10 to 15 cases. Regarding the impact of the injections on patients vision, Dr. Nasir explained that the true condition of patients eyes will only become clear once the infection is under control.
He provided an update on the situation at Mayo Hospital, where 20 patients are being treated. Out of these, 18 have already undergone eye cleaning procedures, and infection treatment is ongoing. In Multan, two out of three patients have received treatment, while the third patient underwent an operation in an attempt to save his eye. Fortunately, there have been no reported cases of patients under treatment affected by Avastin injections in Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur. In a move to further investigate the quality and safety of Avastin injections, samples have been sent to multiple drug testing laboratories.
The results of these laboratory analyses are expected to arrive in 10 to 15 days. Dr. Nasir emphasized that the Drug Testing Laboratory of the Primary Health Department is certified by the World Health Organization. Dr. Nasir made it clear that if the injected samples are found to be substandard or harmful, those responsible for filling small syringes with these injections will be held accountable.
Additionally, a notice has been issued to a private hospital in Lahore suspected of engaging in the illegal filling of small syringes with Avastin injections. This situation is rapidly evolving, and further updates will be provided as the investigation unfolds.
