LHC wants to know reasons of 262pc hike in medicine prices

Lahore High Court - The News Today-TNT

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Federal Government to submit a report explaining the reasons of 262 percent increase in prices of life-saving medicines.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi was hearing a writ petition that requested the high court to declare the government’s September 22 decision of hiking rates of 94 essential medicines illegal.

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The court directed the government to submit the report by next hearing on November 04.

Petitioner Advocate Azhar Siddique stated before the court that rates of essential life-saving medicines have been increased by up to 262 percent by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) in violation of the laws, which has added to the miseries of inflation-hit people.

He pleaded with the bench to declare the increase illegal.

On September 24, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan had said that the recent hike in prices of 94 essential life-saving drugs by the DRAP was ‘inevitable’ to ensure availability of the medicines.

Dr. Faisal, while talking to media in Islamabad, expressed that a ‘reasonable increase’ was made in prices of 94 essential drugs by the DRAP.

He said that pharmaceutical companies usually stop production of some medicines if prices are not increasing. Resultantly, a halt in production by the pharmaceutical companies create a shortage of drugs across the country. (With input from INP)

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