President Mamnoon Hussain has said that prices of medicines should be within the purchasing power of the masses, so that the people with low income may also avail the health facilities.
The President said this while talking to the Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, Mr. Muhammad Ayub Sheikh, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.
The President called for early operationalization of the laboratory for verification of locally manufactured medicines from World Health Organization (WHO) to enhance export of medicines. He stated that various countries are interested in buying medicine from Pakistan noting that pharmaceutical exports is not increasing due to non-verification from WHO.
The President commended the efforts of Ministry in establishing drug testing laboratories in Islamabad and Lahore according to the standards of WHO and stressed the need for their early completion. Expressing pleasure over manufacturing and availability of lifesaving drug for Hepatitis C on low price, the President emphasized the need to focus on manufacturing of other essential drugs in this way.
On the occasion, Secretary Health Muhammad Ayub Sheikh apprised the President about the policy of his ministry regarding the prices of medicines. He further informed that work on establishing laboratories in Islamabad and Karachi was progressing at a rapid pace in line with WHO standards and local pharmaceutical companies will have the facility for verification of drugs in the next few months.
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