Title: At Least 12 People Left Blind Due to Contaminated Drug

A health official in Pakistan has confirmed that dozens of diabetes patients in the country have suffered vision loss after being given a contaminated medication. Two men involved in the supply of the drug "Avastin" have been arrested, and 12 government inspectors have been suspended after an investigation revealed that the drug was packaged in an unhygienic environment, according to police and health authorities. A spokesperson for the health department in Punjab province stated, "So far, the injections have severely affected the vision of 68 patients in the province, with 12 individuals reported to be completely blind," indicating, "We will not be able to assess the true extent of the damage caused by the injections until the infections are fully treated." "Avastin," provided by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, is primarily prescribed for cancer treatment; however, it is used off-label in Pakistan for diabetes patients to prevent the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye. The health ministry in the province has banned the use of the drug for eye treatment. One in four adults in Pakistan suffers from diabetes, one of the highest rates in the world, attributed to a lack of exercise and a sugar-rich diet.