The Senate National Health Committee on Wednesday in its first session made an on-ground visit to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Laboratory in Chak Shehzad, Islamabad, and received a briefing from the officials on various budget-related concerns regarding the upgradation of labs.
It was briefed by the officials that due to various government restrictions, the National Control Laboratory for Biologics (NCLB) had difficulties obtaining funds to improve its facilities and operations.
It was apprised by the CEO DRAP Asim Rauf that funds of Rs. 60 million remained unutilized for a year due to certain legal hinges in the funds only to be utilized by central research.
The Special Secretary Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said that the changes have been made in the mechanism of utilization of funds and a summary is awaited for approval.
The committee raised serious concerns about the absence of the generator due to a power outage which is resulting in medicine and vaccines turning into poison and not fit for use due to temperature fluctuations.
The CEO DRAP apprised the committee that a wiring of 400 KVA is required to address the issue of generators and wirings. The committee inquired about the composition and working of the policy board and remarked that the policy board had gone into slumber on such negligence and called it a criminal offense.
The committee directed the ministry to immediately convene a meeting with the policy board and take a final decision on the completion of the issue of power outrage and procurement of generators within 7 days and give a report on a priority basis. Senator Asad Ali Khan Junejo recommended communicating with the Ministry of Power to immediately stop power outages in the area.
Senator Junejo also sought records of the discarded vaccines which expired due to irregularities in temperature.
The Committee was informed by DRAP that the vaccines in-stored here are only testing vaccines and are not used on patients. The chairman committee inquired about the system for monitoring the temperature and what measures are taken if the temperature gets low, to which the DRAP representative failed to answer. The committee showed serious concerns about the working of the DRAP and lamented the future if such negligence prevails.
It was briefed by the officials of the NCLB that DRAP has enhanced its testing facilities including animal testing for general safety tests, bacterial Endotoxin testing by LAL method, Gel Electrophoresis (Agarose) for identification, particular counter for visible and sub-visible particle count for clarity and adulteration, osmolality test, PH testing and ELISA for potency and identification test. It was also apprised that NCLB has become an associate member of WHO-NNB as Pakistan is a recipient of UN-procured vaccines. It was briefed that presently the lab is at level II and is expected to be listed as authority level II by WHO.
It was briefed that DRAP is also seeking accreditation of ISO/IEC 17025. Senator Rubina Khalid inquired on the question of International Certification on drugs to which it was apprised that DRAP has not been given International Certification as yet.
On the matter of strengthening Human Resources and Capacity, the committee recommended not to make any further inductions and outsourcing the vacancies or only induct on a contract basis.
The committee in the 2nd-phase made an on-site visit to the Federal General Hospital and inspected various wards. The chairman committee lamented that the 200 bedded hospital spread over an area of 22 canals is being wasted due to the non-availability of surgeons and specialists.
It was observed that the staff being recruited for the hospital transfers on deputation to Polyclinic or PIMS hospital using political influences. The committee directed the ministry not to make any further deputations of Doctors specified for the Federal General Hospital.
The hospital is allocated a budget of 298 million for the fiscal year 2022-23 and entertains 376 sanctioned posts. The committee while visiting the maternity ward observed 100 pc occupancy. It was also apprised that operations related to the appendix are also performed here however the Committee noted that an ICU is missing which is a great lapse in case of an emergency.
The committee also noted that the emergency department lacks various equipment like snake bites etc and said that inadequate services are available, the hospital being the only Federal Government Hospital in rural Islamabad. The chairman committee iterated that the hospital should not be only tertiary care but rather be optimized in a way that it becomes the best model of a secondary care unit.
The committee while making visits to different wards observed there is no ventilation system leading to the accumulation of germs. It was also observed that the air conditioners were also not present which is again a great lapse in a hospital especially for wounded patients
It was briefed that the hospital is providing round-the-clock free-of-cost service to the General Public, the hospital is providing a laboratory and radiological diagnostic facility, and the hospital has two operation theatres (one major – one minor ). It was apprised that services are provided free of charge in the hospital without any token/purchase fees.
The facility for immunization of children and females of childbearing age and the facility for polio vaccination for international travel is also available. The committee also briefed the committee on challenges being faced, it was apprised that there is a non-availability of NICU and a shortage of anesthesia doctors which is crucial to the environment of Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by Senators Fawzia Arshad, Rubina Khalid, Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar, Asad Ali Khan Junejo, and Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen. Senior officials from the Ministry of Health, CEO DRAP, and other officials of related departments were also in attendance.
