PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday summoned the chairman of the board of governors for the Peshawar Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD) for response to the issues related to his specialised tertiary care hospital, especially unavailability of a transplant surgeon.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Syed M Attique Shah directed the IKD board’s chief to appear before it on the next hearing fixed for Oct 11 and explain position on the institute’s issues, especially the failure of a surgeon to carry out renal transplants despite promotion to BPS-20 for the purpose a few years ago.

It also took notice of the shortage of common painkiller and fever reducer, Panadol, and directed the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan to ensure its availability on the market in three weeks.

The bench warned that if that deadline wasn’t met, it would summon the federal health secretary and other relevant officials.

PHC also orders drug regulator to ensure Panadol availability on the market

The chief justice observed that Panadol was a common drug widely used by people but there were reports about its continuous shortage on the market.

He added that the medicine was reportedly sold at exorbitant rates on the market and the government had failed to ensure its availability to the people.

The court was hearing three health-related petitions and fixed Oct 11 for next hearing into them.

One petition is filed by Kohat resident Mohammadullah Khan against the alleged illegal kidney transplantation to his uncle, Haji Habib Khan, by a group, including some doctors, for Rs2.55 million in the year 2018. The patient died within two days of the surgery.

His counsel, Malik Ajmal, had requested the court to direct the Federal Investigation Agency and Health Care Commission to take legal action against all the persons involved in the occurrence, and also to conduct a high level inquiry against all those who were involved in this illegal organ trade.

The second petition is about the contempt of court and filed by advocate Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel, which requested the high court to take action against the chief executive of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission and high-ups of health department for non-uniformity in the rates of health facilities, including laboratories and clinics, in accordance with an earlier court order.

Similarly, the third petition is filed by MPA Nighat Orakzai challenging frequent increase in drug prices.

Additional advocate general Sikander Hayat and assistant advocate general Saqib Raza appeared for the provincial government and advocate Tariq Mansoor for the IKD, while head of the Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority Dr Asif Malik, IKD director Dr Mazhar Khan and representatives of DRAP also turned up.

Mr Tariq said the institute had signed a MoU with leading renal transplant surgeon Dr Saeed Akhter and had been conducting transplant surgeries here.

Mr Ajmal said the institute had promoted a doctor to BPS-20 in 2015 with the understanding that he would be conducting surgeries.

He, however, said the institute had to bring transplant surgeon from outside for such surgeries.

The bench also sought a DRAP report on the import of raw material for drug manufacturing and its production in the country.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2022