KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party PDP Chairman Altaf Shakoor has said that yet another hike in the price of already costly medicines would bring a windfall for the pharmaceutical industry but hit the poor masses, badly suffering from high inflation.
He said millions of poor families have already been deprived of proper healthcare facilities and the overall disease burden in society is on the rise. He said the government is safeguarding the vested interests of the pharma mafia at the cost of citizens. He said when poor families are finding it hard to provide two square meals to their children how they could purchase very costly medicines in case of illnesses.
Altaf Shakoor said the pharma mafia has already been charging maximum retail price (MRP) from customers. He said when there is a fixed price of all other commodities, why is ‘maximum’ priced for drugs: why not a fixed price or a minimum price? He said maximum retail price is a shameful exploitation of consumers. He said despite frequent demand of the medical community to sell drugs with their generic names they are being marketed with brand names that is yet another tool of exploitation of consumers.
Altaf Shakoor asked to control the unbridled pharmaceutical mafia that is looting patients with both hands as the government and its regulatory bodies look the other way. He asked are there any consumer rights of patients in Pakistan? He asked does the government give a license to loot to the pharma industry? He demanded reducing the prices of all essential medicines immediately to facilitate the patients. He asked to improve the condition of government hospitals that have become dens of corruption and neglect. He said in fact there is a need to overhaul our medical education system and open teaching hospitals at district level. He asked to establish free standing emergency rooms in the nook and corner of the country to provide immediate help to the ailing people.
