LAHORE, Feb 8: The special assistant to Punjab chief minister, Khwaja Salman Rafique, was given the charge of provincial health department on Wednesday.

Mr Rafique and Zaeem Qadri, another special assistant who got the charge of higher education department, will exercise powers of ministers.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who had been looking after the health ministry, came under criticism after over 100 heart patients died in Lahore over the past few weeks.

The deaths have been reportedly caused by faulty drugs prescribed and distributed at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.