A high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal at the Ministry of Health to review the progress of ongoing projects and future initiatives.
The Minister directed that all ongoing projects must be placed on a fast track to ensure timely completion. He emphasized that all necessary measures must be taken for the timely completion of the under-construction Cancer Hospital and the new Emergency Ward.
Highlighting the government’s reform agenda, the Minister stated that comprehensive reforms in the health sector are underway. Significant steps have been taken in the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) and the Pakistan Nursing Council.
He further shared that PMDC is being fully digitized to promote merit and transparency. A roadmap and integrated strategy have already been developed in this regard.
Similarly, reforms have also been introduced in DRAP (Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan), where medical device licensing has been digitized, and licenses are now being issued within a fixed time frame of just 20 days.
The Minister stressed that decisive action is being taken against counterfeit medicines. For this purpose, the implementation of the 2D bar code system is being expedited. He informed that several meetings with the pharmaceutical industry have already been held to ensure effective enforcement.
Minister Mustafa Kamal underscored that the elimination of counterfeit medicines is imperative, as they not only endanger public health but also undermine the credibility of the pharmaceutical industry.
