LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday expressing serious dismay over sale of lifesaving injection "Actemra" in black market with increase in prices of Covid-19 related medicines directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) to ensure sale of medicines on controlled prices.

The court also directed the Drap and healthcare commission to submit their reports on drug prices and the mechanism to govern the private hospitals respectively.

The court adjourned till July 20 the hearing of a petition against increase in drugs' prices and unavailability of injection Actemra filed by Chairman Judicial Activism Penal Azhar Saddique. The court further observed that private hospitals were charging exorbitant dues from Covid-19 patients and there was no authority to check them.

The court without naming federal minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, observed that if a federal minister could not find the injection from open market what to talk about the helplessness of common people.

The Railways minister who had tested positive for Covid-19 told a press conference that he had been unable to get the injection even for Rs 500,000. He said NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal had arranged the injection for him.

The petition pleaded that coronavirus had been spreading rapidly in the country but the prices of masks and other necessary items had skyrocketed. It said the price of one packet of Chloroquine tablet reached to Rs 3000 while lifesaving injection Acterma's price had gone up to rupees one million. It said the Drap failed to control the prices of these items and requested the court to take action against the responsible.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020