LAHORE: An intelligence report by the police special branch has revealed that 64 out of the 121 drug inspectors in the province are allegedly involved in corruption.

The report has appeared at a time when the Punjab government faces criticism from certain quarters besides poor feedback of patients as well as medics about non-availability of quality medicines in the market.

In a first initiative of its kind, the report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, also revealed interesting information about the modus operandi of the drug inspectors. It was prepared to determine the role of the inspectors when persistent availability of fake and expired medicines in the market in Punjab alarmed authorities despite raids on the drug mafia.

Instead of taking action against the mafia, the drug inspectors were found allowing it to play with the lives of patients for monetary benefits.

Special branch report reveals how they are playing with public health for monetary benefits

Most complaints against the drugs inspectors were about monthly bribe from pharmacies and medical store owners. The report states that the drug inspectors were receiving bribes from quacks as well to allow them to continue their illegal practice.

Some drug inspectors were found collecting ‘samples’ of expensive medicines from stores on the pretext of getting them analysed by government labs. But instead of sending them for analysis, they further sold the medicines to other pharmacies, the report states.

It also states that the brother of a drug inspector posted in Phalia tehsil was running a medicine distribution business in the area. The inspector would take action against those storeowners who did not purchase medicines from his brother’s firm. He also borrowed money from various medical stores and did not return them.

Some drug inspectors were allowing sale of fake and expired medicines by pharmacies in exchange for bribe worth Rs500 to Rs1,000 a month. “A drug inspector of Data Gunj Bukhsh Town in Lahore caught expired medicines from some medical stores but returned them after accepting bribe,” it states.

Some inspectors were taking Rs5,000 each as monthly bribe from big medical stores of their area.

A drug inspector of Shujabad, Multan, recommended action against several medical store owners when they refused to pay him bribe. Two inspectors in Khushab received monthly bribe of Rs50,000 each from the Khushab Medical Association that collected the money from local medical stores in the name of union funds.

The report also mentions another drug inspector of Mianwali who was earlier posted in Chakwal district where he started a business of selling fake medical products by establishing a pharmaceutical company. In his first tenure as drug inspector from 2001 to 2009, the report stated, there were several serious complaints of corruption against him. Consequently, two first information reports had been registered against him by the Anti-Corruption Department of Mianwali. Despite this the authorities posted him in Mianwali.

The report further states that out of the eight inspectors posted in Lahore, six were corrupt.

Similarly, four out of five were found corrupt in Sheikhupura, all three in Kasur, one out of two in Nankana Sahib, six out of seven in Gujranwala, three out of four in Sialkot, both in Mandi Bahauddin, three out of six in Hafizabad and Rawalpindi, all three in Vehari, both in Lodhran, two out of six in Khushab, two out of three in Okara, and both in Dera Ghazi Khan.

In Muzaffargarh, all three drugs inspectors were found corrupt, three out of four in Bahawalpur, two out of three in Bahawalnagar, and three out of four in Rahim Yar Khan were found corrupt.

The report prepared by the special branch over a week ago has reportedly been sent to the chief minister’s office through the health department.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2017