The federal government is expected to revise strategy to reduce prices of medicines, which increased in recent months and created a controversy. This was disclosed by Secretary Health Zahid Saeed before the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) where suspicions were raised over spread of AIDS in Larkana.
The committee was discussing the point of public importance regarding recent increase in the prices of medicines across the country. Matter was raised by Senator Sirajul Haq, Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Chairman committee Mian Ateeq Shaikh said that though Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed to reduce the prices of medicines within 72 hours, his directions were not implemented.
The secretary health while briefing the committee claimed that the prices of medicines were increased, across the board, in 2001. Later in 2013 they were increased by 15 percent but very next day then Prime Minister [Nawaz Sharif] took notice and that notification was withdrawn, he said.
"In 2018, while issues related to health were being discussed in the Supreme Court, pharmaceutical industry demanded to increase the prices due to which the court directed to look into the issue and later directed to decide it in 10 weeks. So we increased prices of 466 medicines and directed to decrease prices of 395 medicines. However pharmaceutical companies did not decrease prices and sought stay order from Sindh High Court," he said.
"Later that stay was vacated by the court. Pharmaceutical industry has agreed to reduce the prices but we have decided to move against industry in drug court to recover the amount collected by them while stay was intact. Moreover we have directed them to advertise old and new [reduced] prices of medicines in the newspapers," he said.
Saeed said a few months back pharmaceutical industry again started insisting to increase the prices because in December 2017 rate of one USD was Rs 110 but in December 2018 it was increased to Rs 138. So prices of 40,000 medicines were increased by 15 percent, he said.
"The issue is of only 464 medicines, of which prices of 360 medicines were increased by up to 50 percent, 52 medicines' prices were increased from 50 percent to 75 percent and prices of 52 medicines were increased from 75 percent to 300 percent. We have decided to take up the matter of medicines in the meeting of federal cabinet, scheduled on Tuesday (today) and hope that there will be substantial reduction in prices," he said.
However the chairman committee directed to provide details of the prices increased and reason why it was allowed to increase prices by two to three times. He also directed to provide details and sought who had proposed increase in prices.
While the committee members were showing concerns over the sudden increase in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases in Larkana, Senator Sirajul Haq said that it was not a matter of concern. He alleged, "Number of cases is deliberately increased to get more allocation of funds and every year it happens. A number of non-government organisations are also involved in it."
To substantiate his point, Haq said that in erstwhile tribal areas fund was allocated to stop cultivation of opium poppy but it did not stop. "Once I asked a political agent (PA) why cultivation of poppy could not be stopped, he (PA) replied that the funding would be stopped if there will be no more cultivation of poppy," he said.