Crumbling healthcare

Pakistan's healthcare system is standing on the precipice of collapse, with an alarming number of essential, life-saving drugs having vanished from markets across the country. From Lahore to Karachi, patients in dire need of these medications find themselves caught in a desperate search for relief. This crisis has reached the point where over 50% of the WHO-listed essential medicines are either completely unavailable or critically scarce in the country.

For those suffering from chronic conditions, the unavailability of these drugs is a matter of life and death. The shortage of these medicines is pushing vulnerable patients to purchase from unreliable sources, risking their lives on potentially dangerous counterfeit drugs. But what has led us to this point? The answer is multi-faceted. Economic instability, rampant inflation and the devaluation of the rupee have drastically increased the costs of production for local pharmas. In some cases, the cost of producing a drug exceeds its retail price, making it unsustainable for manufacturers to continue production. This has resulted in a market where demand far exceeds supply, driving shortages, hoarding and the inevitable rise of a black market where drugs are sold at inflated prices. Underneath this is a tug of war between corporate profit motives and the urgent healthcare needs of millions.

First and foremost, the government must urgently establish an emergency healthcare fund dedicated to the procurement of essential medicines. The real solution, however, lies in striking a balance that is not solely focused on profitability but on human well-being. While companies do need to cover their rising costs, there is a moral and ethical obligation to ensure that medicines remain accessible and affordable. The government needs to step in with stricter regulations to prevent lobbyists from dictating public health policy. This includes revisiting and strengthening the Drug Pricing Policy of 2018.