LAHORE, May 2: A multinational company supplying drug to Jinnah Hospital has agreed to replace some 1,900 expired MRI injections with the fresh medicine, it is learnt.

A preliminary inquiry report of the committee of senior doctors constituted by Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Prof Javed Akram concluded that out of 3,000 Omni Scan injections purchased by the hospital in July 2009 only 1,100 were used by the radiology department doctors while the rest of 1,900 injections lying unused in hospital stock expired on April 30.

The committee comprised Prof. Masood Rashid, Prof. Arif Mahmood Siddiqui, Prof. Saeed Anwar, Dr Ali Jawa, and Dr Muhammad Jalil Akhtar.

The committee was directed to probe into the matter and fix the responsibility within a week.

Prof Dr Javed Akram said waste of public money would not be tolerated at any cost.

Quoting preliminary inquiry report, he said in order to acquire MRI contrast injections, the institution had sought applications from the local and multinational medical firms through advertisement in local media in December 2008.

A technical evaluation committee headed by Prof Dr Arif Siddiqui was also formed in this regard.

Finally, he said, the committee approved two MRI injections -- Omni Scan and Magnevist -- of the multinational firms at the cost Rs1,735 and Rs3,980, respectively in July 2009 and under contractual agreement the companies were bound to take back the medicines if not used in time.

“The Omni Scan injection, one of the five Gadolinium based injections, are manufactured by GE (USA), is used during Magnetic Resonance Imaging with contrast,” Prof Akram said.

Subsequently, the contract award of the said injection was created and dually signed by then head of radiology department Dr Amir Nadeem, he said, adding that the estimated requirement -- 500 to 1,000 injections per month -- was submitted.

Prof Akram said chief pharmacist of the institute Aleem Khan had informed the respective medical firm four times over the last six months for the replacement of Omni Scan injections according to the agreement.

“The hospital has reached an agreement with the GE (USA) for the replacement of 1,900 Omni Scan injections with fresh medicine a couple of days back.”

At least 50,000 MRI tests had been conducted since the installation of equipment at Jinnah’s radiology department, he said and added that of these half of the MRI with contrast had been conducted so far.

Prof Akram said he had suspended a staff nurse of the radiology department in March 2010 on the complaint of an elderly patient who informed him (the principal) that she had advised him an MRI injection from market instead of providing from the hospital stock.

Prof Akram said he had issued instructions to department’s other staff including doctors that the contrast MRI injections purchased by the hospital should be given to poor patients without discrimination.

“Jinnah Hospital is the only health institution providing free MRI injections to the poor patients,” he claimed.