Hike In Prices Of 94 Essential Medicines Challenged Before LHC

(@fidahassanain)

Hike in prices of 94 essential medicines challenged before LHC

A lawyer has asked the Lahore High Court to declare decision of the government regarding increase in essential medicines as null and void.

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Sept 26th, 2020) A petition on Saturday was moved to the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging recent 262 per cent increase in the prices of essential medicines.

A local lawyer filed the petition saying that the essential medicines used for life saving had gone out of reach of the common citizens. He stated that this increase was an extra burden on the public. Everything was inflated and now the medicine for treatment were priced double. The lawyer made both Federal and the provincial government as respondents.

Earlier, the federal government had announced to increase prices of various life-saving drugs citing various reasons including low availability in the market, appreciation of Dollar and increasing cost of raw materials.

He stated that the medicines include antibiotics and drugs used for eye, ear, tooth, mouth and blood infection, skin diseases and post-childbirth drugs.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) made reasonable increase in the price of 94 essential drugs.

The government had assured that pharmaceutical companies would not be allowed to raise prices any further until June 2021.

Fida Hussnain

Fida Hussnain is a lahore based journalist. He writes on politics, religion, social issues and climate change. He is also a research fellow at University of Gujrat.