By Anees Takar
CHARSADDA: During a surprise visit by the provincial health minister to the District Headquarters Hospital in Charsadda, a woman complained that her son was being injected with a drug different from what the doctor had prescribed. The allegation initially went viral on social media, where blame was placed on the hospital’s male nursing staff. However, the inquiry showed a very different picture. The person administering the injection was neither a hospital employee nor a nurse, but a staff member linked with the Health Card system, allegedly working hand-in-hand with a Health Card pharmacy.
According to the mother, the doctor had recommended a specific injection for her child, but the pharmacy handed over a drug named “Nalbin” instead, reportedly to retain the higher-priced medicine for sale. A nurse on duty and a trainee from a private medical institute reportedly warned that the drug being given was risky for children, prompting the mother to object immediately.
When called to explain, the Health Card representative allegedly misbehaved with the family and said, “If you don’t want this injection, then don’t take it. The child can die anywhere else too.”
Investigations further revealed that the negligence lay primarily with Health Card personnel and the pharmacy contractor, who allegedly replaced prescribed medicines with cheaper, low-quality alternatives. Reports suggest that although the Health Card program officially offers expensive, multinational medicines for patients, the hospital staff linked to Health Card operations, the pharmacy contractor, and certain ward officers deliberately avoid supplying them or conducting surgeries to benefit financially. Several cases have surfaced where costly medicines were replaced by inferior local drugs.
Public circles are now demanding a transparent and impartial inquiry into the incident. They have called for strict accountability, registration of an FIR against the involved Health Card staff and pharmacy contractors, and immediate measures to ensure patient safety so that such practices do not endanger lives in the future.
