ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee was informed on Tuesday that the surge in medicine prices has become a serious issue in Pakistan, while the pharmaceutical industry is leaving the country due to corruption within the sector.
During the Senate Standing Committee on Health meeting, chaired by Senator Amir Waleeduddin Chishti, the federal health minister discussed the decision to lift restrictions on medicines, which would depend on the results of an upcoming survey report.
The health minister expressed concern over the price hikes, mentioning that several pharmaceutical companies had exited Pakistan due to corrupt practices in the industry. He also noted that, in the past, legal action was typically limited to filing FIRs against the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies. This process has now been revised to include more comprehensive accountability.
Senator Humayun Mohmand raised alarm over the impact of rising medicine prices, stressing that it has become a major concern for the public. Meanwhile, Senator Dinesh Kumar highlighted unethical practices in the medical sector, particularly the coercion faced by women during childbirth. He accused doctors of taking commissions on medicines and laboratory tests and demanded data on the number of pharmaceutical companies that have sponsored foreign trips for doctors.
