LAHORE, Dec 13: Inquiries into 19 syrup deaths have ‘come to a grinding halt’, as the mafia responsible for these deaths has destroyed the cough syrup distributed under batch No 5552, it is learnt.

This ‘development’ was shared at a meeting chaired by Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique at Health Secretary’s Office on Wednesday. The meeting was informed about loopholes in the inquiries and doubts about drug testing lab’s analysis of the syrup that led the investigators to a blind alley.

“Tyno syrup distributed under batch No. 5552 was the only evidence to determine the cause of 19 deaths,” an official close to the matter told Dawn on condition of anonymity. He said that investigators could only get a half bottle of the cough syrup for lab analysis from a patient at Services Hospital and that too had batch No.5529, which had nothing to do with the deaths.

“Inquiry teams have found no lead from the forensic analysis of the syrup carried out locally to resolve the mystery of 19 deaths,” the official quoted a participant in the meeting as saying. The meeting was also attended by representatives from police and health departments and the forensic science agency.

This is the second drug reaction incident in the Punjab capital within a year. The first was the heart drugs scam, which claimed lives of more than 100 patients registered with the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC). Inquiries into the PIC drugs scam also met the same fate.

“Investigation teams could not retrieve even a single bottle of the cough syrup distributed under batch No.5552,” the official said.

The meeting was informed that a sample of a syrup bottle of batch No.5529 batch was sent to the lab for analysis and the lab report confirmed that the syrup was made in accordance with the formula given on the label. However, forensic analysis of a syrup victim’s body suggested that he took heavy dose of an intoxicant.

The official said that a report of senior clinicians and physicians recommended a complete ban on the sale of cough syrup and other drugs having intoxicants, without doctor’s prescription.

It was said at the meeting that the health department had sent a summary to the Punjab chief minister to put the cough syrup on the prescription list.