Pakistan needs to check medical malpractices: Minister

Tampa Star (IANS) Wednesday 8th February, 2012

A federal minister has stressed the need to enact laws to check medical malpractices in Pakistan, a country where over 100 patients died after taking a contaminated heart medicine.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan Tuesday supported efforts to enact laws for controlling malpractices in the medical profession, reported Associated Press of Pakistan.

Speaking in the National Assembly on the Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, the minister said the proposed legislation will bring medical colleges under certain parameters and discourage malpractices.

Awan is a doctor who graduated from the Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore.

Pakistan's Punjab province last month saw the deaths of more than 100 patients, undergoing treatment at Lahore's Punjab Institute of Cardiology, after they took a heart medicine that a British laboratory said contained anti-malarial drug.

Awan said: "We can further improve it as we have weak legislation in the health sector."

"Strong legislation to improve performance of health sector and medical profession is the need of the hour," she added.