Healthcare minister encourages local raw material for drugs

LAHORE: Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik, Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Punjab, urged the pharmaceutical industry to prepare raw materials used for drugs at the local level, extending help to the government for saving foreign exchange so that inexpensive medications may be made available to the citizens. 

Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik was talking to a Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association North Zone delegation led by Dr Faisal Khokar, who called on him at the health department. He said that the government would extend all-out support to the pharma industry if they were willing to prepare raw materials for drugs at a local level. Our pharmacists and druggists have great potential to drive the industry towards self-reliance as envisioned by the PTI government. 

 The delegates apprised Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik of the pharma industry's challenges. Dr Akhtar Malik sought a briefing on the Drugs Control Wings of the department and its initiates. He asked to unite all units of the Drugs Control Wing scattered in the city under one roof to facilitate the public. Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik was briefed that around 125 THQ/DHQ hospitals and 43 BHUs are upgraded, besides setting up 9 trauma centres in the province. 

Additional Secretary Drugs Control Suhail informed that 5 Drugs Testing Labs, ISO certified, are functioning across the province. Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik asked the authorities to fill the vacant posts on an ad-hoc basis to meet the shortage of HR. The minister claimed that around 32.97 million Panadol and 1.57 million Calpol tablets are available in the market. Dr Muhammad Akhtar Malik, while reviewing the performance of PMU, directed to enhance dialysis machines for increasing patients, besides expediting efforts for the provision of CT scan and MRI facilities in THQ/DHQ hospitals. 

He said that around 20 mobile health units are engaged to provide ARV and ASV facilities to the flood-stricken areas. He maintained that location and mobile health units would be tracked and monitored after uploading their location on the dashboard.