Pak Opposition slams Imran Khan govt for increasing prices of life-saving drugs

Pakistan's opposition parties accused the Imran Khan-led-Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government of increasing prices of life-saving medicines once again amid the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman criticised the PTI government for increasing prices of life-saving medicines once again and said "Instead of providing relief in times of extreme inflation and high unemployment, the PTI government has hiked the prices of essential medicine by a whopping 150pc. This is the 10th increase in medicine prices since 2018".

PPP Senator further said that while other countries are making life-saving drugs free, the PTI government is busy playing politics during a national health crisis, reported The Dawn.

"Let's not forget, last year Drap hiked the prices of 253 life-saving drugs by a massive 25 per cent to 35 per cent. It is alarming that there is no price regulating mechanism for medicines under this PTI government," she added.

Talking to Dawn, a pharmacist, said the injection was priced at Rs 55,000 but is being sold for Rs 400,000 in the black market.

The coronavirus situation in Pakistan seems to be worsening as the country has reported the highest single-day deaths since May.

Pakistan has reported 141 new COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest number of fatalities recorded since May, while 4,199 fresh infections have been detected across the country, According to data of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), reported The dawn.

According to The Dawn, this was the highest death toll since May 3 when 161 patients had succumbed to the deadly infection.

There are 91,204 active cases in the country as of August 25, with 503 patients on ventilators.

With the rising death rate in the country, the health authorities may announce alternatives to Actemra which is given to critically ill Covid-19 patients.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Ministry of National Health Services said that Actemra had become short across the globe.

"We tried to get 1,000 vials of Actemra on Tuesday but even the company could not arrange the injection as the medicine has run short. We are now left with no option but to go for alternatives that have the same characteristics as Actemra," the official said, adding that, "but they are not allowed by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) to administer to Covid-19 patients".

( With inputs from ANI )