KARACHI:
The scarcity of essential medicines in the country has persisted for months, prompting action from the Federal Ministry of Health in early March 2023. In a letter addressed to DRAP, the Ministry highlighted a severe shortage of several medicines, including life-saving ones, across the nation. Reports indicate that even in Islamabad alone, 131 medicines are unavailable. Despite the Ministry’s directive to DRAP for immediate action to ensure uninterrupted medicine supply, no effective steps have been taken to address the issue.
Finally, DRAP has decided to investigate the shortage of life-saving drugs, media reports say. Letters have been dispatched to provincial offices instructing them to monitor the market for these drugs and conduct emergency surveys nationwide. Provincial offices have been tasked with providing detailed reports on rare medicines within three days. It is imperative for DRAP to take decisive action to address this issue sustainably, preventing unnecessary price hikes and holding accountable those responsible for the delay in resolving the problem.
Muhammad Amin
Kech
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2024.
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