ISLAMABAD : August 16 2022. The federal cabinet on Tuesday turned down a summary moved by the Health ministry for increase in rates of 35 key life-saving drugs.
The medicines listed by the Health ministry for increase included those life-saving drugs whose artificial shortage was made by the drug mafia to make a case that in case the rates were not revised upward their availability will be a big issue.
Its for the first time in last four years when a summary of the Health ministry is rejected by the federal cabinet .
In Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) rule of around quarter to four years, the drug mafia managed to get 400 % increase in the prices of life-saving drugs.
The prices of drugs used by cancer , heart patients and for other series diseases were increased manifolds. The PTI chairman, Imran Khan, had personal interest in increasing the prices of drugs time and again in his rule.
Its yet a mystery as to why Imran Khan as prime minister had so much interest in increasing the rates of life-saving drugs
The drug mafia in his rule was so callous and powerful that it got approved from Imran Khan cabinet any price for any medicine. This mafia thrived in PTI rule.
NEWSMAN reported each time that a gang of Imran Khan’s ministers was a part of the drug mafia and it struck each time to get revised prices of drugs from the cabinet.
PTI government had set a world record by increasing the prices of drugs 14 times in his tenure.
Not a single time , the PTI government rejected the summary for increase in the prices of drugs.
Not only this, PTI government simply promoted and protected drug mafia to help it make money at the cost of the patients lives who in majority had no money to buy costly medicines to keep their hope alive to live on.
Now when PTI is out of power and its again be-fooling the people of this country with touch of religion, there was an apprehension that the drug mafia may use the old tactics to get revised upward prices of 35 drugs and Pakistan Pharmacist Lawyers Association had already announced a protest against possible increase in drug prices at Lahore Press Club next week.
Now when the federal cabinet has rejected the summary for increase in drug prices, Pakistan Pharmacist Lawyers Association will have a sigh of relief and may call off its protest.
According to an official announcement made here , the cabinet meeting chaired by prime minister , Shahbaz Sharif , discussed the summary moved by the Health ministry for upward revision in the prices of 35 life saving drugs and rejected it in toto.
The prime minister and his cabinet unanimously rejected the summary submitted by the Health ministry for increase in the prices of 35 medicines , said the handout issued by the government after the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet also noted that the prices of medicines will be only revised in the future after formal approval of the government .
