Expired stents case: Punjab govt submits report in LHC

LAHORE: After the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Punjab government on Thursday has submitted its report in the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a case related to the alleged insertion of expired stents into heart patients at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).

In today’s hearing, the counsels of the Punjab government the FIA informed the LHC bench hearing the plea that FIR has been registered into the insertion of expired stents into the hearts of the patients at the PIC and a committee has been constituted into the matter.

Meanwhile, PIC and other respondents sought time from the court for filing their response in the case. Granting time to respondents for the response, the LHC adjourned the case until October 27.

Earlier, the FIA in its report submitted in the LHC had stated that as many as 66 substandard heart stents were seized by them from Mayo Hospital Lahore in 2017.

Two cases were registered in the scandal and two cases were moved to the drug inspector, who did not forward any application for legal action, the report say.

The issue came to light when the PIC deputy medical superintendent (stores) in a letter to the medical superintendent revealed that expired stents were inserted into several patients at the health facility.

In the last hearing, a state counsel had submitted replies on behalf of the Punjab government and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as Justice Ali Baqir Najafi resumed hearing into the stents scandal.

He had informed the court that the government has constituted a committee to probe the scam.