LAHORE, May 24: As the Punjab health department is running a campaign against spurious and sub-standard drugs, the City District Government Lahore has unearthed a spurious medicines’ manufacturing factory and seized medicines worth around Rs6 million.

Drug inspectors Azhar Jamal Saleemi, Zakaur Rehman and Muhammad Jamil in collaboration with FIA officials unearthed a spurious medicines’ factory established in House No 5-A, Street 32, Afzaal Road, near the Sanda Bus stop. They arrested two accused Abdul Sattar, a resident of Vehari and Muhammad Afzaal, a resident of Sanda.

The raiding team confiscated polyster packing machine, packing material of Viagara 100mg, Rovamycin, Sante and Akzome tablets. On information provided by the accused, the raiding team also sealed their spurious medicines’ godown in Pappar Mandi. From the godown, the team seized 15 brands of spurious medicines worth around Rs6 million. The recovered spurious drugs included Augmentin, Dicloran 50mg, Dicloran SR 100mg, Caflam 50mg, Zentec 100mg, Velocef capsule 500mg, skin ointments and multivitamins.

In the first one month of the anti-spurious and sub-standard drugs campaign, the CDGL has sealed 13 drug shops on charges of selling drugs without licences as well as selling unwarranted and de-registered drugs. It also challaned 40 shops on different charges.

When contacted, District Coordination Officer Mian Ijaz said the CDGL had launched a three-month campaign against unscrupulous elements involved in manufacturing, sale of spurious and sub-standard drugs from April 15.

He said the CDGL would continue its campaign against manufacturing and sale of spurious and sub-standard medicines and ensure supply of quality medicines to patients in the district. He said the unscrupulous elements in this regard would be dealt with an iron hand.

During the first month of the campaign, the drug inspectors in Lahore inspected 330 shops, collected 250 samples, sealed 13 shops and challaned 40 other shops for different offences.

The CDGL referred 53 cases to the District Quality Control Board. Meanwhile, the drug courts decided 18 cases and imposed fines of Rs287,000.

In the second fortnight of the campaign, it is learnt, the CDGL drug inspectors sealed the Muhammadia Trust Centre New Bhogiwal Chowk, Baghbanpura, on charges of selling drugs without licence, selling narcotics/steroids without sale/purchase record and sale of unwarranted drugs.

They also sealed the Al-Qaim Medical Store-cum-clinic, Farid Colony, Kacha Jail Road, Chungi Amer Sadhu, for selling drugs without licence, selling narcotics/steroids without sale/purchase record, sale of unwarranted and misbranded drugs, stocking of thermolabile drugs outside the fridge and use of veterinary drugs on human beings.

The CDGL sealed the Awami Shifa Khana Haiwanat, Qais Market, Malik Bagh, Bara Dari Road, Fakharabad, Shahdara, on charges of selling drugs without licence, unwarranted drugs and sale of drug under unhygienic conditions.

It sealed Umair Clinic-cum-medical store Main Bazaar Mohlanwal Kalan, Multan Road, on charges of sale of drugs without licence, unwarranted drugs and sale of physicians’ samples.

While, in the first fortnight of the campaign, the CDGL drug inspectors had sealed nine drug stores. They had sealed a premises on 153-Multan Road near Shah Noor Studio on charges of selling drugs without licence and that too under unhygienic conditions. The inspectors also seized expired and unwarranted drugs from the shop.

The CDGL sealed the Lubna Health Clinic, Mast Iqbal Road, for selling drugs without licence as well as selling unwarranted and mis-branded drugs. The Shakeel Clinic and Medical Store, Aasil Suleman, was sealed for selling drugs with licence. The inspectors also recovered unwarranted, misbranded and de-registered drugs from the shop. The Saeed Clinic and Medical Store, Chungi Amar Sadhu, was sealed for running the business without licence, not keeping the drugs sale and purchase record and selling unwarranted and misbranded drugs.

It sealed the Butt Medical and General Store, Bilal Road, Rashid Pura, for using veterinary drugs on humans besides selling drugs without licence as well as selling unwarranted and un-registered drugs. The Madina Medical Store, College Road, Ghausia Chowk, was sealed for selling drugs without licence and those too without warranty.

The Mandi Medical Store was sealed for selling drugs without licence, selling unwarranted, unregistered and government property drugs after misbranding them.

The CDGL inspectors sealed a godown situated opposite to the TCS Warehouse, Peco Road, for selling drugs without licence as well as selling unwarranted drugs. The Al-Muqadas Clinic-cum-Medical Store, Ferozepur Road, was sealed for selling drugs without licence as well as selling unwarranted, unregistered, government property and narcotics/steroids without record.

It is learnt that all 40 medical stores, which were challaned, were also found guilty of selling drugs without licence, without qualified persons, as well as selling, unwarranted, unregistered, deregistered and misbranded drugs. These stores were also charged with improper storage of drugs, sale of narcotics/steroids without record and storage of thermolabile drugs outside the fridge. The CDGL also sealed the Paragon Herbal Labs, Registered 13-Temple Road, on charges of illegal advertisement.