Smog Medicine Alert Group launched

Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir announced on Thursday the formation of a dedicated Smog Medicine Alert Group to ensure continuous availability of essential medicines needed to treat health issues arising from smog.

The group comprising representatives from the Drug Control Wing and Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) aims to prevent shortages and hoarding. Chairing a meeting, the minister said the Punjab Drug Monitoring System is now fully operational. The system oversees the entire supply chain to prevent disruptions in the transportation and availability of critical medications.

Drug Control Director General Muhammad Sohail gave an update on the stock and supply chain status of smog-related medicines.

"The Smog Medicine Alert Group will actively monitor shortages and prevent hoarding of medicines essential for treating smog-related conditions," he stated.

The review highlighted stocks of items like inhalers, eye and nasal drops, antibiotics, cough syrups, masks and fever relief medications for ensuring that they are readily available in both hospitals and markets.

The minister directed pharmaceutical stakeholders, including manufacturers, distributors and stockists, to prioritise the availability of these medicines, warning that artificial shortages would not be tolerated.