Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C), chaired by MNA Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, met at the Ministry’s Kohsar Block office in Islamabad to deliberate on critical issues affecting Pakistan’s healthcare system, including food safety regulations, pharmaceutical oversight, and recruitment inefficiencies in key health institutions.
The committee expressed strong concern over the delay by the Ministry of Science and Technology in resolving matters related to national food standards, particularly the pending implementation of front-of-package nutritional warnings. Highlighting the rising health burden of ultra-processed foods, committee members called for the imposition of a health levy on such products. They proposed that the revenue from this tax be used to fund national initiatives promoting healthier lifestyles and combating non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Administrative shortcomings within health institutions, particularly Polyclinic and the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), also came under scrutiny. Members criticized the delay in recruitments and emphasized the urgent need for transparency in hiring processes. The Ministry was directed to present comprehensive reports in the next meeting detailing recruitment procedures and proposed reforms to enhance accountability.
A major part of the meeting focused on the challenges facing the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). Members voiced alarm over the authority’s resource constraints, staffing shortages, and slow regulatory processes. They called for swift action to fill vacant positions and for DRAP to reinforce its inspection framework to crack down on pharmaceutical malpractice. The committee also underscored the need to harmonize drug licensing procedures to eliminate bottlenecks and ensure the availability of safe, affordable, and effective medicines.
Committee members urged DRAP to take a more assertive role in regulating drug pricing and availability and recommended strengthening penalties for companies found violating safety or quality standards. The committee also stressed the strategic importance of prioritizing local vaccine production to reduce dependency on foreign imports and bolster national health security.
Despite the concerns raised, DRAP was praised for successfully digitizing the drug licensing application process and for developing a standardized, harmonized licensing form. The committee acknowledged this as a positive step toward greater regulatory transparency and efficiency. DRAP was instructed to submit finalized licensing rules in the next session for review.
On legislative matters, the committee formally disposed of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024, moved by MNA Ms. Shaista Pervaiz. However, two other bills—the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024—were deferred due to the absence of their respective movers.
The meeting was attended in person by MNAs Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Sabheen Ghoury, Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Ms. Aliya Kamran, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Mr. Shahram Khan, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan, Mr. Shabbir Ali Qureshi, and Mr. Azim ud Din Zahid Lakhwi. MNA Mr. Nisar Ahmed joined the meeting virtually. The Minister for NHSR&C, the Secretary of the Ministry, and senior officers from attached departments were also present.
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