Punjab Minister for Health Tahir Ali Javed has said that parameters for the medicine supply companies for public sector hospitals will be framed within next couple of days and only those firms would be allowed to provide medicines to the health department that would ensure quality and price of drugs as well as the capacity to supply the required medicines.
Addressing various delegations of people from different walks of life who called on him at his residence here, the minister said the government will ensure supply of standardised medicines to people and the relevant laws will be strictly implemented in this respect.
Tablets and capsules for the public sector hospitals would be purchased only in 'blister pack' and the syrups in 'safe and tight packing' would be allowed for the supply to the health department. Supply companies would also be made bound to supply their products to the public hospitals that are being sold in the market and the below standard packed supplies would not be permitted, he declared.
He said that improper storage facilities and violation of hygiene principles were causing a number of dangerous diseases and added that the elements playing with the lives of innocent people will not be spared. He said the government will ensure quality and the prices of medicines at reasonable rates and supply of sub standard drugs would not be allowed in public sector hospitals. Moreover fake supply companies would also not be allowed to provide medicines to the public sector hospitals, he stated categorically.
He said "diabetes has assumed an epidemic disease and due to luxurious lifestyle our population is suffering from this fatal disease." He stressed the need for a joint effort to create awareness of diabetes through mass media.