Multan faces acute shortage of medicines

Patients of psychiatric problems face problems due to unavailability of drugs

MULTAN:

Several medicines used in the treatment of mental illness and life-saving injections have disappeared from the markets in South Punjab, including Multan.

The Punjab government has not taken any practical steps to ensure the availability of medicines in the market.

According to sources, the Drug Control Department of the Health Department of Multan has been affected by repeated transfers. Meanwhile, the citizens have been complaining of shortage of injections and medicines.

The sources said blood thinners and injectable collagen and heparin used for various heart diseases have become rare in South Punjab.

Read more: Rehri Goth residents decry shortage of medicines

At the same time, a shortage of other life-saving drugs in the market, including medicines for patients of psychiatric disorders like panic attacks, anxiety and depression has been reported. They condition of a number of patients has reportedly deteriorated due the unavailability of the medicines.

On the other hand, the drug control officials of the Health Department of Multan have also failed to perform their duties adequately, apparently due to repeated transfers of drug inspectors, the sources said.

Speaking to The Express Tribune the divisional president of the Drug Association, Akhtar Butt, said most of the life-saving drugs including psychiatric ones are in short supply in the market.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2021.