KARACHI: Deploring that research in the healthcare sector has not remained the priority of any government in Pakistan, leading health experts Saturday said authorities should not only allocate adequate funds for research in the health sector but also promulgate laws compelling pharmaceutical sector to fund the research projects to collect data on diseases and their management in the country.

"Research and development have never been the priority of any government in Pakistan although National Health Services was supposed to collect data of all the diseases, establish national disease registries and help out academicians in managing the ailments. It is the right time that laws are promulgated to promote clinical research in the health sector in Pakistan," noted cardiologist Prof. Muhammad Ishaq said while signing a memorandum of understanding regarding the 1st Hypertension Research Award.

Under the joint initiative of Pakistan Hypertension League (PHL) and Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, to be funded by Pharmevo Research Forum, grants up to three hundred thousand rupees would be offered to the healthcare professionals and medical students to study hypertension, its root-causes, management and treatment, as well as, appropriate medication and their dosage for the control of hypertension in various segments of the society.

Prof. Ishaq, who is the secretary general of Pakistan Hypertension League (PHL), also criticized the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the pharmaceutical sector for ignoring the research and development, saying except for a few major pharmaceutical companies, majority of companies were busy only in money-making but were not interested in the well-being of the society by funding the academic and research activities in Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021