ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee on Friday came down hard on the health ministry and the federal government over the exorbitant increase in medicine prices.

The chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Service, Regulations and Coordination Senator Mian Mohammad Ateeq Shaikh requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to look into the issue.

The committee at a meeting showed its concern over the increase in the drug prices by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap).

“If a poor falls ill in Naya Pakistan, he does not have any other option but to die as medicines are getting out of his reach,” Mr Shaikh told the media after chairing the meeting.

In January this year, Drap allowed an increase in the prices of various medicines by up to 15 per cent.

The committee expressed displeasure at the absence of Minister for National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Aamir Mehmood Kiyani, saying he was supposed to brief the committee about the rationale behind the increase in the drug prices.

Secretary National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Zahid Saeed informed the committee that a task force had been formed and its chairman had been requested to review the drug prices after which new recommendations could be made and presented in the house.

He said prices were increased because of various factors such as an increase in value of dollars.

But the committee did not agree with his argument and said pharmaceutical companies were charging exorbitant rates with the permission of Drap. The chairman said he could present several cases on this.

Meanwhile, the committee, which waited for health minister over an hour, called off the meeting in protest without discussing the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects of the health ministry. However, when the members had left the committee room, the health minister arrived and told the lawmakers that because of his important official engagements he could not reach on time. But the committee chairman said the meeting had ended.

Speaking to mediapersons, the health minister said he had constantly and rigorously been working on the issue of drug prices.

He said over 100 companies/medicines had been identified whose prices could be revised.

Mr Kiyani, however, said the increase in medicine prices was made in the light of a Supreme Court decision and at a cabinet meeting chaired by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

“The previous government had approved the increase and we just notified it,” he said.

Discussing the PMDC Ordinance that is currently being considered in the house, the committee took serious notice of the absence of the PMDC president.

The chairman said changes were expected in the ordinance after a vetting in parliament.

While discussing constitutional bodies, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq stressed the need for curbing the trend of ad hoc appointments as seen in the case of National Institute of Health (NIH) and Drap. She said promotions must take place from within.

Secretary health Zahid Saeed informed the committee that all such appointments were made through a transparent process. However, there have been issues as seen in the case of Drap CEO who was asked to stop working due to his controversial degree. He said an interim appointment had been made from within the ranks.

Senator Dr Ashok Kumar said details of the contentious appointment along with decisions taken by the former CEO must be submitted to the committee at the next meeting.

Senators Dr Ghous Mohammad Khan Niazi, Dilawar Khan, Sana Jamali, Liaquat Khan Tarakai, Dr Asad Ashraf and Dr Sikandar Mandhro also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2019