Substandard cardiac drugs claim over 100 lives in Pakistan

Via Xinhua :

" Over 100 heart patients have been killed and 450 others were admitted to hospitals due to the adverse reaction of cardiac drugs in eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Friday, local media reported.

According to the report, during the last week of December last year, cardiac doctors of a public hospital in Lahore prescribed a combination of four medicines from the hospital's pharmacy to over 40,000 patients suffering from heart disease.

After taking the drugs, over 450 people were shifted to different hospitals in Lahore and an estimated 106 patients died till Friday, while 2,000 cardiac patients who have already used the possibly spurious drug are at risk."

Pakistan : Drug reaction toll jumps to 63

Via Dawn :

" A total of 63 heart patients have died over the past three weeks after taking medicines from government hospitals in Lahore.

The stunning fact was revealed at a press briefing by provincial Health Secretary Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) on Monday night.

The official confirmed 27 deaths in hospitals while the Principal of the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Dr Faisal Masood, said 36 cardiac patients registered with the PIC had died of suspected drug reaction in the Services Hospital.

He said the 36 deaths were in addition to those officially confirmed by the health secretary.

Both the officials made public the ‘official figure’ after reporters accused them of concealing facts related to the deaths."