The unavailability of essential medicines particularly for the treatment of heart diseases and hepatitis can go short in Punjab and Sindh.
The Pakistan Medical Association has issued a warning in this regard.
The PMA Centre General Secretary Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said that the critical shortage of life-saving medications for heart disease and hepatitis is a matter of life and death. The patients are suffering, and lives are at risk due to this unacceptable lack of access to essential treatment. “
The PMA also urged the provincial governments to take immediate action to address this critical situation by taking immediate steps to ensure the swift and reliable supply of all essential medicines for heart disease and hepatitis, particularly to affected regions.
It is pertinent to mention that a thorough investigation is the need of the hour to determine the root causes of the shortage and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
If this happens, unfortunately it would not be the first time for Pakistanis to face such a criticial situation.
Medicine shortage in the past
Earlier this year, critical shortage of life-saving medicines hit Pakistan, leaving patients in distress as 27 essential drugs, including insulin, vanish from shelves across the Pakistan.
In 2023, it was reported that medicine production in the South Asian nation plunged by 21.5 per cent in recent months — mainly due to the prolonged refusal of commercial banks to facilitate the import of raw materials.
