AAMIR SAEED
ISLAMABAD: The country’s pharmaceutical exports currently stand at Rs200 million and efforts are afoot to enhance exports while 80 to 90 percent essential drugs known as Life Saving Drugs are being prepared locally.
Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr Darshan informed the National Assembly on Thursday during the Question Hour.
He said that around 34 pharmaceutical companies were exporting their medicines to around 40 countries while there are 600 manufacturing units in the country which are manufacturing the essential and other drugs almost 359 in Punjab, 140 in Sindh, 91 in KPK and 11 in Balochistan and 5 in Azad Kashmir.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that around 10-15 percent of essential drugs are being imported in Pakistan, out of the total registered drugs.
He said there are almost 1400 formulations (including innovative and generic) registered for local production and import and around 380 medicines are classified as essential drugs.
The House was also informed that during the last eight months, 22 out of 700 pharmaceutical companies increased prices of 343 out of 70,000 registered drugs without approval of the federal government after managing to obtain restraining orders by misleading the Sindh High Court at Karachi.
In a written response to another question, Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar informed the House that Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan conducted 54 raids with the collaboration of Federal Investigation Agency in the country during the tenure of present government to curb the menace of the spurious drugs. This is in addition to unannounced sampling from market by provincial and federal drug inspectors in various inspections, she said.
Minister said that there were about 723 spurious drugs found in raids or by sampling from inspection and mostly the spurious drugs found were expensive drugs, especially injection, antibiotic capsules, sexual drugs, etc. More than 6000 persons were arrested and prosecuted, of these around 100 persons were involved in spurious drugs, she said, adding that around 80 percent of prosecuted persons have been convicted with various fines and imprisonment, the others are under prosecution. Only in 2015, about Rs70 million fines were imposed and imprisonments from five months to ten years were awarded by the courts.
To another question, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali informed the House that a comprehensive plan has been prepared to improve the electricity transmission system. He said efforts are being made to improve the rate of recovery from consumers, which has made it possible to make regular payments to power producers and minimize load-shedding.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad told the Lower House that uniform prayers timing is being observed in the Capital Territory and talks are being held with the provincial authorities to extend it to other parts of the country as well.
He said that a meeting was held with Sindh Government in presence of Ulema where in the initiative was appreciated. He said that arrangements are also being made for prayers in all educational institutions.
Parliamentary Secretary for Industries and Production Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan informed the House that the government has prepared a comprehensive automotive development policy to attract more investment in this sector and ensure quality of locally manufactured vehicles.
He said some investors have already shown interest in the manufacturing of small cars.
