GUJRAT: A drug inspector has referred the case of quackery and sale of expired drugs at a private hospital in Fatehpur, owned by an of fice-bearer of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Gujrat, to the District Quality Control Board (DQCB), the forum that deals with such cases. Earlier on Wednesday, the authorities had sealed the Latif Hospital af ter finding a paramedic examining the patients and giving them prescriptions. Two expired injections were also found from there.

The dispenser later turned out to be the father of Dr Kamran Latif, thepresident of YDA Gujrat and owner of the hospital. However, the district coordination of ficer (DCO) unsealed the hospital after negotiations with the officials of the Pakistan Medical Association and YDA late on Wednesday.

Ihsan Elahi Cheema, the drug inspector, told Dawn that he had sent the case to the DQCB, headed by the DCO, seeking the cancelation of the license of the hospital and the doctor.

Mr Cheema said the team went to the medicine store of the hospital (not the hospital itself) from where itfound unwarranted drugs and expired injections, found the doctor`s father examining the patients, which prompted the sealing of the hospital.

Another of ficial, privy to the case, said YDA`s Dr Kamran had submitted a written affidavit that his father would not treat patients in his hospital in the future which also justified the allegations.

However, the PMA and YDA said the druginspectorcouldnotsealthe hospital under the law even if the quackery and expired medicine was found.-WASEEM ASHR AF BUTT