Supreme Court Seeks Justification For Creation Of Strategic Management And Internal Policy Unit In Health Department

The Supreme Court (SC) Saturday issued notices to the Advocate General Punjab and Secretary Health asking them to justify the creation of Strategic Management and Internal Policy Unit (SM&IPU) in Punjab Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Department.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Mar, 2018 ) :The Supreme Court (SC) Saturday issued notices to the Advocate General Punjab and Secretary Health asking them to justify the creation of Strategic Management and Internal Policy Unit (SM&IPU) in Punjab Specialised Healthcare & Medical education Department.

The bench also sought details of companies formed by the Punjab government in the province. The two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, passed the orders while hearing suo motu notices regarding SM&IPU and Drug Testing Laboratory, at the Supreme Court Lahore registry.

At the outset of hearing, the chief justice expressed annoyance over payment of high salaries to senior staff, hired for the SM&IPU and the drug lab.

He also questioned hiring of retired senior medical officers for the projects while ignoring the in-service available staff.

The Chief Secretary apprised the bench that the Drug Testing Laboratory was revamped in 2016 after it was discovered that 33 per cent of the drugs passed by it were declared unfit in the tests held abroad.

Professionals were hired from market for revamping the lab, and now all drugs approved by it were found fit for human use by the foreign labs, he added. At this, the chief justice questioned the performance of the lab observing that 1,000 drugs were pending with it for approval. The bench, adjourning the hearing, ordered the lab to complete the testing of pending drugs in 15 days.