Reports have emerged of patient deaths allegedly linked to a ban on prescribing medicines from outside public hospitals in Punjab. According to government lawmaker Amjad Ali Javed, doctors have stopped prescribing external medicines following the orders of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Speaking during a session of the Punjab Assembly, Amjad Ali Javed acknowledged that the Chief Minister’s decision was well-intentioned and could have delivered positive results. However, he emphasized that the failure to ensure the availability of essential medicines in government hospitals has put patients at serious risk.
He revealed that due to the unavailability of substitute medicines, six people had died in Sahiwal. “When patients are on the brink of death, doctors refer them to other hospitals,” he stated.
Amjad Ali Javed criticized the health department for its inability to implement the Chief Minister’s directive effectively. “People are being pushed towards death. The medicines provided by the government are of poor quality, according to doctors,” he added.
He further said, “Instead of buying 100 mounds of ash, the government should invest in one mound of effective medicines.”
