SHC seeks replies from CS, health secy

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday sought the replies from Sindh chief secretary and provincial health secretary against the shortage of pharmacists in hospitals and medical stores.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Aqeel Abbasi issued these orders in a petition of Pakistan Pharmacists Association, which moved the court against the shortage of pharmacists in hospitals and medical stores.

According to the petition, every fifty-bed hospitals should have one pharmacist under the orders of Supreme Court (SC). In medical stores, the non-qualified and irrelevant persons are selling the medicines.

The petitioner submitted before the court that this practice is leading towards the loss of human lives due to sale of wrong medicines.

The petitioner stated that summary for appointment of pharmacists has been lying pending with the Sindh Chief Minister, which stated 293 pharmacists are required to be appointed.

According to the petition, persons with B-Pharmacy degrees are in search of jobs whereas non-qualified people are working in hospitals and medical stores.

The court directed the Sindh Government to submit the replies in the petition by issuing notices to Sindh Chief Secretary and provincial health secretary.