Speaking at a seminar, Abdul Latif Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer of the Pakistan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (PSHP) said that there was an irrational use of injections in small clinics and that 'there should be a complete ban on injectibles other than secondary and tertiary-care hospitals'.
According to a story published in The News, Shaikh said that deaths of infant Nashwa among a couple of others due to medication error can be avoided in international rules and regulations are implemented in Pakistan.
"Baby Nashwa died because she was given a medicine through an injection in a concentrated form and the untrained staff did not know it could prove lethal for her," he said, adding that her life could have saved if the hospital had trained pharmacists working.
Speaking about the HIV-AIDS scandal in Larkana, Shaikh said that the most common reason for the surge in cases of AIDS, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C was the reuse of syringes. He said the problem could be solved via self-destructing syringes.
He also said that the Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC) lacks pharmacists to deal with the issue of medicine, which is an important part of the healthcare system.
Treasurer PSHP Umaima Muzzamil said authorities should take measures to minimize the use of injections and in this regard, an awareness campaign should also be launched to apprise people about safe medication practices and hazards of self-medication.
9-month-old Nashwa passed away on April 22 at Darul Sehat hospital in Karachi after she was allegedly given a wrong dosage of an injection. Initially, she got paralysed but later passed away.