SC summons audit report in substandard stents case

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Saturday ordered the Attorney General for Pakistan to submit the audit report of Rs 35 million fund handed over to renowned scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand by the government for the production of coronary stents in the country, within a week.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar resumed the hearing of a suo motu case pertaining to sale of unregistered stents in the country.

The apex court also ordered Mubarakmand to submit a written reply regarding the release of fund to him within a week.

Dr Mubarakmand appeared before the bench and informed that a project worth Rs 37 million was started while he was the chairman of National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESC). Under the project, 10,000 stents were to be manufactured locally, out of which 400 were manufactured and sent to Germany for testing.

On being asked by the court where the stents were now, Mubarakmand said the machine used for manufacturing stents alone cost Rs 30 million, while the rest was spent on the salaries of experts and other expenses.

“After that I retired and handed over the project to NUST [National University of Sciences and Technology],” he added.

Meanwhile, the NUST authorities informed the court that 450 stents manufactured by them had been sent to Germany for testing.

The chief justice observed that the court would summon all the manufacturers from whom the stents were imported.

Moreover, the court would fix the price of locally-made stents, he added.