ISLAMABAD, May 12: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Health has unanimously approved the Tibb-i-Unani Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Herbal and non-Allopathic Medicine Bill, 2005. The bill was approved in a meeting presided over by its chairman, Dr Hajar Tariq, at the Parliament House on Wednesday.

Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan informed the committee that the bill had been prepared to regulate the manufacturers, import, export and sale of all systems of medicines in consultation with stakeholders including the provincial governments and relevant departments.

The bill envisages the constitution of a board comprising representatives of provincial governments and experts from relevant fields of medicine. It also proposes establishment of laboratories for testing and analyzing the medicines and appointment of inspectors who will inspect the manufacturing, storage and sale of medicines.

The committee discussed the bill in detail after listening to the views and suggestions of representatives of traditional systems of medicines. Some of the views and suggestions were incorporated in the bill.

It was decided to approve the bill with the observation that the companies manufacturing traditional medicines needed to be regulated through an act of parliament.