Islamabad : Feb 6, 2024 . In an unprecedented anti- people move, caretaker cabinet of Mr Kakar on Tuesday approved a summary of the Health ministry to deregulate life- saving drugs. This is the most lethal decision that a caretaker government could take to give undue financial benefit to the drug importers and manufacturers at the cost of lives of the patients.
In particular , a caretaker government which is on its last leg can not morally or otherwise take such an anti- people decision unless its decision-makers have personal gains.
NEWSMAN had reported last week that Kakar ‘s cabinet was bent upon in giving approval to a proposal of the Health ministry in its last cabinet meeting , but it withheld its decision at the eleventh hours ,fearing some public backlash for this anti people decision . However , since caretaker government is going to end in just two days , its cabinet struck on Tuesday to intentionally make a decision which, of course, put its already low level credibility in question.
Deregulation of life-saving drugs was a long pending demand of the importers and manufacturers as it provides them a free hand to fleece the patients as much as they wish.
Kakar cabinet ‘s Tuesday ‘s decision to deregulate life +saving drugs may turn into a mega scam in the near future. Kakar government had revised prices of 146 life -saving drugs just one weak ago . It had already allowed the drug mafia to jack up the prices of life-saving drugs in July 2024.
The drug prices scandal had hit Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) rule . It had approved 14 upward revisions in the drug prices in its quarter to four years rule. In Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) regime (2013-18) , the drug mafia managed to bag at least 7 upward revisions in the life -saving drugs prices . Following PTI and PMLN formula , Kakar government has approved two major increases in the life-saving drugs in just 7 months rule and now it has beaten up all previous records by approving deregulation of life -saving drugs.
