LAHORE: The Punjab Agriculture Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA) is setting up laboratories to perform essential tests to ensure the food safety and medicines quality for both livestock and human consumption across the province.

With an investment of Rs16 billion, the authority is poised to address these critical needs to significantly enhance public health safety and consumer protection.

In a review meeting chaired by Punjab Home Secretary Noor-ulAmin Mengal on Friday, PAFDA Director General Dr Talat Naseer Pasha stated the authority was developing its laboratories while meeting stringent Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and ISO 17025 standards.

He said the purpose-built laboratory building had been officially handed over to the PAFDA, and the process of furnishing the labs with state-of-the-art furniture, IT equipment, and other essential infrastructure was underway. He said the authority has planned to complete the furnishing of the laboratories by the end of the current month.

He said in terms of staffing, the PAFDA has completed the recruitment for several key positions within the organisation. A professional headhunting firm has been engaged to fill the remaining high-level positions,including members for the food, agriculture and pharmaceutical sectors.

Additionally, he said the Punjab University has successfully conducted the first phase of recruitment tests for 266 professional and administrative positions. The second phase of these recruitment tests was scheduled for Saturday (today) and Sunday to be followed by interviews ofshortlisted candidates.

The DG said the authority was moving forward with the procurement process to equip the new laboratories with equipment, office furniture, vehicles, and IT resources.

In collaboration with the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), the DG said, the authority was developing a software solution for the Lab Information Management System (LIMS), which was now in its first phase of completion, to streamline the operations of the new laboratories and integrate the existing labs of health, agriculture and food departments. All these laboratories would eventually come under the administrative control of the PAFDA.

During the review, the home secretary stressed the importance of transparency in the procurement and recruitment processes, and directed that the laboratories be made functional as soon as possible to maximise the benefits for the people of Punjab. Staff Reporter