MULTAN, Dec 2: Dr Farrukh Javed, who is chairman of Chief Minister’s Task Force for Control of Spurious Drugs in South Punjab, has taken strict notice of non-installation of drug testing laboratory’s equipment, which was imported 10 years ago, and directed the authorities concerned to assemble the equipment within 48 hours and make the laboratory functional before Eidul Azha.

During his visit to the laboratory here on Tuesday, Dr Javed expressed his displeasure for not bringing into use the equipment worth Rs13.3 imported in 1999 and which was still lying packed in cartons.

Presiding over a meeting at the laboratory, Dr Javed said that legislation was being made to check manufacture and sale of spurious drugs. He said that the Punjab province would be made free from such drugs.

He formed a committee headed by Dera Ghazi Khan Commissioner Ahsan Iqbal that would review the Drugs Act, 1976, and would give within a week its recommendations to improve it further.

He said that health executive district officers were not authorised to issue licences to dispensers working in pharmacies and medical stores, however those dispensers who were already working in medical stores and pharmacies, would be bound to get training through refresher and pharma assistant courses.

He directed drug inspectors to identify the firms involved in manufacturing spurious drugs besides locating their sale and storage points.

He also directed them to conduct raids on medical stores and apothecary shops of quacks and Hakeems manufacturing and selling such drugs and bring them to justice.

On the advertising of spurious drugs and aphrodisiacs, Dr Javed directed drug inspectors and other officials concerned to remove graffiti and posters of such drugs from all over the southern Punjab. He also directed organising seminars in urban as well as rural areas to give awareness to the people regarding hazardous effects of such drugs.

He also directed the three commissioners of Multan division to play their role in controlling spurious drugs’ manufacture and sale.

Multan Commissioner Syed Muhammad Ali Gardezi said that maximum efforts would be made to get the people involved in such businesses punished.

He also directed all tehsil and town municipal officers of the division to remove graffiti and posters of such drugs from within their territorial jurisdiction.

He said that notices for imposing fine would be issued to those involved in graffiti.