TAXILA: The Attock district administration has formed a committee to regulate sale of poisonous wheat pills, which has contributed to a rise in suicide cases in the rural areas of the district, especially among underprivileged women.

“A committee headed by additional deputy commissioner Marziya Saleem has been formed which not only will review all these deaths in detail and recommend appropriate course of action to avoid such tragic deaths as well as restrict the sale of these pills to only authorised shops,” said Deputy Commissioner Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh while briefing newsmen about this initiative at his office on Friday.

Mr Sheikh said that Ms Saleem would visit every house across the district along with deputy director social welfare department to where suicides cases were reported, would examine the socio-psychological motives behind these extreme steps by the victims as well as investigate insecticides’ availability to them.

Mr Sheikh who remained a medical practitioner said that wheat pill poisoning was considered as one of the most toxic and fatal of all poisons as it contains aluminium phosphide that is a cardiac poison. Upon ingestion of wheat pills, on contact with acid in the stomach, the substance liberates phosphine gas that destroys cells of heart, kidney, liver and pancreas- leading to painful death.

“We would try to ensure that these insecticide tablets sale be prohibited in general stores and ensure its restricted availability at selected outlets of the agriculture stores who would maintain proper record of the sale and buyer to avert the use of these items for suicide especially among women,” said additional Deputy Commissioner Marziya Saleem, who was also present on the occasion.

The government authorities concerned and scientists working in the agriculture sector should work on suitable alternatives to wheat pills with less toxicity that may serve the same purpose.

“The only solution to avoid deaths from wheat pills poisoning is to prevent its ingestion,” said District Health Authority Chief executive Dr Jawad Ellahi.

In August 2016, as many as three sisters aged 12, 15 and 17 committed suicide by taking poisonous wheat pills in Takbeer Colony of Attock over some domestic dispute.

“It is painful to mention that Dr Shagufta Naz - a gynecologist at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH) who belonged to Taxila was poisoned to death allegedly by her in-laws by mixing poisonous wheat pills in her breakfast,” said Dr Syed Ali, the president of the local chapter of Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP).

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2021