ISLAMABAD ; Feb 21,2023: The Shahbaz Sharif government has gone extra milage to give benefit to the drug mafia by granting it the second increase in Panadol price in the last two weeks .
With the second increase , Panadol price has jumped up to Rs 33.20 for a pack of 10 tablets .
Just two weeks ago , the Shahbaz government had approved the increase in the price of a Panadol pack of 10 tablets from Rs 17.10 to Rs 27.50 .
Now after two weeks the government has hit the patients hard again and approved another increase in the rate of a pack of 10 tablets of Panadol to Rs 33.20.
With two increases, accumulative increase in the price of Panadol for 10 tablets pack has gone up almost 100 %.
Panadol is a basic medicine for fever treatment , pain and its use has increased manifold in the last one year due to surge in the cases of dangee fever. The use of Panadol increased manifold again in Cronona times as it was the only effective medicine to control fever in Corona patients.
Around 100 % increase in the rate of Panadol , an essential medicine, shows how callous Shahbaz Sharif government is when it comes to benefit the drug mafia . It also suggests that Shahbaz Sharif’s claims of selling his clothes for the poor’s help is his typical style of hypocrisy . Had Shahbaz Sharif any sensitivity for the poor he would have resisted the mafia within his cabinet working to secure the increase in the rate of Panadol and other drugs on the behest of the pharma industry
Sources confided to NEWSMAN on Tuesday that a strong lobby in Shahbaz government comprising at least two key federal ministers, senior officials of Health ministry and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) was behind repeated increase in the price of Panadol and other life saving drugs.
According to the sources this mafia is facilitating to the drug mafia for repeated increases in the price of life saving drugs like Panadol .
This mafia is secretly working in a plan to increase the prices of more than 150 lifesaving drugs. A newly elevated Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) leader is also said to be a part of drug mafia facilitating team .
Pakistan Lawyers Pharmacists Association chairman , Noor Mahar , has strongly condemned the repeated increases in the price of Panadol. In his video statement , Noor Mahar said on Tuesday the repeated increases in the prices of life saving drugs was shameful. Noor Mahar demanded of prime minister , Shahbaz Sharif , to reverse the decision to increase the price of Panadol.