BAP senator concerned at NIRM drug shortage 

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Danesh Kumar has voiced serious apprehensions regarding the scarcity of medicine at the National Institute of Rehabilitation and Medicine (NIRM).

Expressing his concerns during the sixth meeting of the 355th Senate Session in Islamabad, Senator Kumar highlighted the plight faced by the underprivileged segments of society due to the unavailability of essential medication.

He lamented the apparent apathy of the bureaucracy in the Ministry of National Health, Services, Regulations, and Coordination towards this pressing issue, which has remained unresolved for the past ten days.

He says that the increasing inflationary pressures have further compounded the challenges faced by the poor, rendering them incapable of affording vital medicines.

Responding to the senator's concerns, Interim Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, saying that a comprehensive response from the relevant ministry was still pending.

Solangi assured the Senate that the incoming health minister would be better equipped to address the issue after assuming office.

Senator Kamran Murtaza of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (JUIP) expressed discontent over the interim minister's response. He criticized the caretaker government's role in allowing exorbitant increases in drug prices.

In light of the discussion, the Senate deputy chairman decided to defer further the matter to the next session.