After reducing the life expectancy of the people by increasing the prices of petrol and gas, the caretaker government has also run-down the citizens of buying medicines. After the approval of the federal cabinet, the companies have set the prices of medicines themselves.
According to the national media the government has increased the prices of 146 life-saving drugs, while in this regard, the government has issued a notification on the increase in the prices of drugs, according to which the prices of cancer, vaccine and antibiotic drugs have been increased.
Officials of the Ministry of Health say that a drug regulatory authority had sent a summary to the government to increase the prices of 262 medicines, but the government has increased the prices of 146 life-saving medicines included in the list.
Remember that a day before yesterday caretaker Prime Minister Anwar Haq Kakar, according to the announcement of the supervisory federal cabinet meeting chaired by him approved that summery. The caretaker prime minister said that proposals should be prepared to further improve the efficiency of the drug regulatory authority, actions against drug smuggling and hoarding should be accelerated.
The caretaker prime minister directed that the deregulation of drug prices Recommendations should be made for necessary legislation.
He said that the government is taking all possible steps to provide medicines to the common man at a reasonable price. The government is framing policies that will benefit the common man and the pharmaceutical industry
Despite the increase in prices, the shortage of life-saving drugs continues in the country, causing more distress to patients and their families. No brand of anti-seizure drug carbamazepine is available in the market. The anti-suicide drug lithium carbonate is also not available in the market.
The injection to prevent blood clots in the arteries is also not available, the injection to prevent stroke and heart attack is not available. The blood thinner Paran has not been available in the country for a long time. In addition, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has admitted the non-availability of some drugs.
The DRAP officials say that the drugs that are not available can be imported by organizations and individuals from abroad.
Drug shortages occur all over the world, trying to ensure supply. According to the authorities, the prices of 116 drugs included in the list will be increased by pharmaceutical companies themselves. The government will now control the prices of only 464 medicines included in the National Essential Medicines List.
The government yesterday deregulated drug prices and allowed pharmaceutical companies to increase prices on their own. The Prime Minister has said in his statement yesterday that it is important to develop pharmaceutical companies which is very surprising for such a country.
Where the prices of medicines are several hundred percent higher, if the government or the prime minister’s aim is to promote pharmaceutical companies, then tax exemptions should be given on the chemicals and other equipment used in them, or the help of research experts.
If these are encouraged to prepare raw materials at the national level, then it will be understood that our leadership is very intelligent and competent. If it is intended to carry a gun on the shoulder of the people, then any lay man can do this.
If the cost of medicines is to be increased and the entire burden is to be put on the public, there is no need for the government to do this, the companies can do this themselves, because these moneylenders know very well how much blood is left in this cripple nation.
Due to the manner in which the government and administration are putting a burden on the people by increasing the cost of medicines every six months, their right to live has also been taken away from them.
Now it is the responsibility of the incoming federal government that if the other ministries are blown away, then the portfolio of the federal health ministry should also be given to a competent member of the assembly and if there is no competent person, the prime minister should keep this ministry with him.
The expert should be appointed as a consultant so that some way of making the medicines cheaper can be found.
