ISLAMABAD: A subcommittee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) on Monday advised all stakeholders to submit proposals for reforms in health sector.

The committee, chaired by PML-N legislator Dr Nisar Ahmad Cheema, had invited Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) to brief about the registration of pharmaceutical companies and drug prices.

Besides chairman, only one member belonging to PTI Nasir Khan Musazai was present in the meeting so meeting was held in a cordial environment and ended much earlier as compared to past meetings. Mr Cheema suggested the ministry, Drap and National Institute of Health to submit proposals for the reforms in health sector especially in Drap.

He also advised the pharmaceutical industry to play role for the availability of the quality medicines and start efforts to increase exports of the medicines so that country could get foreign exchange and help in bridging the gap between import and exports.

“We need to ensure that people would get quality medicines at affordable rates,” the committee chairman said.

MNA Nasir Khan regretted that there was hardly any representation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA).

“There should be representation of all the provinces in PPMA so that manufacturers of all provinces could be benefited,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2020