KARACHI: Pakistan is a type of nations on the earth the place medicines are being transported with out chilly chain administration and the federal government, particularly the Sindh authorities, does to not do something, a physician working with Pakistan Medical Affiliation informed Zari Information.
“The prime accountability to make sure chilly chain administration rests with drug producers, after that retailers are accountable of sustaining the temperature of a drug,” stated Dr Qaiser Sajjad, member of the PMA.
Dr Asif Zaman, Medical Superintendent at Authorities Youngsters Hospital Nazimabad, defined that the required temperature of a drug which incorporates vaccines, antibiotics, injections and ointments are from 2°C to eight°C.
Dr Sajjad stated sadly salespersons at medical shops have no idea concerning the chilly chain administration and so they do not even have backup assist in case of an influence outage.
Whereas surveying, Zari Information additionally got here throughout the truth that practically 80 per cent of drug retailers have been unaware of chilly chain administration.
Dr Mohammad Taufeeq, Director Well being Karachi, stated their drug inspectors commonly test and conduct raids on the medical shops. He, nonetheless, admitted lack of preparations to keep up temperature of medicine within the metropolis.
In accordance with Director Well being Karachi’s workplace, solely two drug inspectors have been working within the subject for over 20 million sturdy inhabitants of town.
Dr Sikander Ali Mandhro, provincial minister for Well being, stated that we’re conscious of the difficulty, however for vaccination our Prolonged Program for Immunisation (EPI) has World Well being Organisation-recommended chilly chain administration system, which is working in your complete province.
“So far as scarcity of drug inspectors is worried, we’re quickly to promote vacancies for drug inspectors,” Mandhro added.
It has been learnt that medicines, whose temperature just isn’t maintained, ultimately have their efficacy affected. Retailers ought to keep away from medication’ publicity to daylight and retailer them in fridge, whereas ointments for ears, eyes and nostril shouldn’t be used greater than 30 days after the primary opening.
The PMA has urged the central and provincial governments and anxious departments to keep up chilly chain administration and regulate a monitoring system for drug shops, and to place heavy penalty and/or effective in in case of a violation.
