Former General Secretary of Pakistan Medical Association Dr Qaisar Sajjad urged DRAP to regulate drug prices in consultation with the pharmaceutical industry, pointing out that prices of essential medicines are increasing every 15-20 days. Photo: file
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services has urged the government to balance investor confidence and corporate margins with the public interest to keep essential medicines affordable.
The panel, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, met in Parliament to discuss a series of key issues regarding the health sector.
It recommends that while maintaining investor confidence and allowing reasonable profit margins, the interests of the common man should be safeguarded so that essential medicines remain affordable.
Issues such as the Pakistan Drugs Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, status of polio eradication efforts and performance of the National Council of Homeopathy were briefly discussed during the meeting.
The committee also reviewed the compliance report submitted by the Ministry of National Health Services on drug prices, difficult cases and registrations of new drugs.
He stressed that salary increases and production costs must be reasonably justified, and urged the ministry to review SCR activities and ongoing research and development initiatives to ensure transparency and efficiency in the pricing process.
While discussing the Drap (Amendment) Bill 2025, Senator Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur lauded the continued efforts of the committee and expressed support for its recommendations.
The Health Minister warned that sudden changes in the regulatory framework could disrupt the national pharmaceutical sector, emphasizing the need for stability, while the committee chairman called for a balanced and well-structured approach to the proposed amendments.
The minister assured the committee that the ministry would present a comprehensive action plan and ensure that all stakeholders, including the new administration, were consulted in the reform process.
The committee was also briefed on the progress of polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, where Senator Masroor Ahsan expressed concern over the persistence of the virus despite multiple vaccination campaigns.
The minister told the committee that poor sanitation, unsanitary conditions and contaminated sewage remain key factors in the persistence of the virus, particularly in Karachi, Lahore and southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
He added that vaccination efforts alone cannot succeed without addressing these environmental causes.
Senator Chishti emphasized that eliminating polio requires collective responsibility at the local level, as well as accountability from elected representatives and local government bodies.
