Quality medicines basic right of people, says Khawaja Imran

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Kh Imran Nazir said that availability of quality medicines is the basic right of 120 million people in markets and hospitals. He directed the Drug Control Wing to ensure sufficient stock of medicines in the hospitals and market. Strict monitoring is being done for the availability of life saving medicines across Punjab, he added.

He said that providing quality medicines to the people is the vision of Punjab Chief Minister. Artificial shortage of medicines across the province will not be tolerated under any cost, he added. He said this while chairing the 287th meeting of Provincial Quality Control Board (PQCB) on Wednesday. The minister said that all pharma industry should have their units inspected under the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Strict legal action is being taken against the industrial units which are refusing for having inspection under GMP.

Khawaja Imran Nazir clarified that a new regime of track and tracing system of medicines has been introduced in the market. The provincial health minister said that the supply process will be monitored from the medicine inventory of the medicine supply companies.

In the PQCB meeting, Special Secretary Operation Aoun Abbas Bukhari, Additional Secretary Dr Qalandar Khan, DG Drug Control M Sohail, Chief Drug Controller Azhar Jamal Saleemi, Secretary Board Dr Manwar Hayat, and Dr Sajid Bashir were also present.

Later, a delegation of lady health supervisors (LHS) called on provincial minister primary and secondary healthcare at IRMNCH office. During the meeting, the minister was informed about the problems and demands of the LHS. Imran Nazir said that lady health workers and lady health supervisors are the backbone of the health system.