RAWALPINDI: Provincial Caretaker Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare and Population Dr Jamal Nasir has formed a five-member committee to investigate how Avastin injection caused eye infection.

The committee will submit its report within three days, and will give suggestions to avoid such a situation in the future.

The convener of the committee is Dr Asad Aslam Khan of King Edward Medical University while its members include Director General of Primary and Secondary Health Department Mohammad Sohail, Mayo Hospital Lahore’s Dr Mohammad Moin, Lahore General Hospital’s Dr Tayyaba and Services Hospital’s Professor Dr Mohsin.

Talking to the media, caretaker Minister Dr Jamal said that the warehouse of the injection has been sealed and drug inspectors have been activated to stop the sale and purchase of this injection.

He said that all doctors and patients have been instructed not to use Avastin injection and medical stores, wholesalers and distributors have been stopped from selling this injection.

Provincial Minister Dr. Jamal Nasir said that the samples of the said injection have been sent for lab tests.

More than 40 incidents of infection caused by this injection have been reported so far in Lahore and Kasur.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2023