ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Federal Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved to increase the prices of 94 life-saving medicines.
According to Express News, a meeting of the Federal Cabinet was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister with 17 points on its agenda. During the meeting, the federal cabinet approved a reduction in the cost of injections for people infected with the corona virus and an increase in the prices of 94 drugs.
In a press briefing with Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz after the meeting, Dr. Faisal Sultan, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Health, confirmed this. He said that the federal cabinet has approved to increase the prices of 94 medicines used in emergencies while the price of corona vaccine has been fixed at Rs. 8,400.
On the other hand, sources in the Ministry of Health said that the medicines whose prices have been approved include high blood pressure, cancer, heart diseases and anti-rabies vaccines. The Drug Policy 2018 recommended an increase in the prices of these drugs.
Defense Ministry sources defended the decision to increase the prices of medicines, saying that the prices of these medicines had not been increased for many years. Prices have been increased due to unavailability of these drugs. Due to unavailability, these drugs were being sold at higher prices than the actual prices. The federal cabinet has allowed rationalization of the prices of these drugs. The price of these medicines will now be increased accordingly