PIC stent case: LHC orders action against responsible

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday ordered action against responsible in the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) expired stents case.

The hearing was conducted by Justice Shahid Waheed in which the CCPO Lahore and officials of the Healthcare Commission appeared before the court.

At the outset of the hearing, the bench asked what action has been taken in light of FIA’s inquiry report? Action against the staff and doctors is underway and it will take 60 days to complete inquiry under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and accountability (PEEDA) Act, the healthcare officials replied.

The responsible will be charged frame after three days of inquiry’s completion, they added. After being asked by the LHC, the CCPO Lahore said the police did not take any action but they will implement the court orders.

Later, the court ordering action against the responsible in the assertion of the expired case at the PIC ordered to submit a report by March 21.

Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report revealed 38 patients were inserted as many as 39 expired stents at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), last year.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) preliminary report on the use of expired stents stated that 500 stents were bought from a private company in 2019.

The acquired stents were supposed to be inserted in 2020 but they were to be inserted into the patients even after 19 months of their expiry date.

The report revealed that despite the availability of stents, the PIC kept on demanding the same from other hospitals that show the element of malice in the case as evidence, the report read.

Earlier, the Punjab Institute of Cardiology constituted a six-member committee to look into the alleged use of expired stents.

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.