On the direction of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Primary and Secondary Healthcare department is ensuring provision of quality medicines in the public sector hospitals and for this purpose, the department is procuring the medicines from high ranking companies.
A spokesman of Health department Punjab has dispelled the impression that the Punjab government has purchased the same medicines on high price as compared to KP. The Punjab Health department has procured medicines from leading drugs companies with additional requirements.
He said KP government purchased Diclofenac Sodium 50 mg from M/s Danas Pharmaceutical whereas Punjab Health department has purchased this medicine from M/s Novartis Pharma with brand name Voltral, as per IMS ranking M/s Danas Rank at 123 while Novartis Rank 8, similarly KP purchased Cap Omeprazole 20mg from M/s Rock pharmaceutical and Punjab government purchased this medicine from M/s Feroze Sons Labs brand name Omega.
The spokesman said that M/s Rock Pharma not ranked by IMS whereas M/s Feroze Sons Labs ranks at No 10.
He further said that medicine for Hepatitis C patients tablet Sofosbuvir procured by the Primary and Secondary Health department Punjab from the same company M/s Getz Pharma with additional requirements ie 2 D Data Matric Barcode (drugs identification online system), Courier services having tracing facility, one month patient course in separate pack, International Testing from WHO pre-qualified labs at the expense of supplier and Green packing defacing requirement.
The spokesman denied that Health department Punjab has procured Infusion Moxifloxacin 400mg/250ml. For item 6 Cap Tranexamic Acid 500 mg, the spokesman said that Punjab rate at par with the KPK despite that Punjab has procured medicine with additional requirement ie, scattered delivery at 172 destinations and secondly International Testing from WHO prequalified labs at the expense of the supplier.
The spokesman further said that the provision of best healthcare facilities and ensuring availability of high quality medicines in the hospitals is the mission of the department and on the direction of Punjab CM, Primary and Secondary Healthcare department will further procure high quality medicines worth Rs 4 billion from the multinational companies in coming days.