Raids on Unani drug units flayed

LAHORE

Pakistan Tibbi Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (PTPMA) has condemned an alleged indiscriminate crackdown on Unani Drug manufacturing units by confusing them with pharmaceutical companies. 

“The laws governing pharmaceutical drugs cannot be implemented on Unani medicines, whose ingredients are natural, hence entirely different from pharmaceutical products,” said PTPMA office-bearers including Dr Zahid Ashraf, Imran Masood, Habib Ullah Cheema, Rana Abdul Sattar, Qasim Mahmood, Hakeem Munir Butt, Hakim Mansoor-ul-Aziz and others while speaking at a press conference on Wednesday.

They said the Punjab government crackdown on Unani Drug manufacturing units tantamount to closing down the centuries-old method of treatment. They said the crackdown led by Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare was victimising Unani Drug manufacturing units for not producing Form-VI and labeling Unani medicines fake, which were being manufactured purely with natural and herbal products. “It is ridiculous to declare herbal medicines as fake, which are proven to cure diseases for centuries,” they added.

They said Unani Drug manufacturing units were ready to get their medicines registered with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) but they should not be linked with allopathic medicines, adding both kinds of medicines should be governed under separate laws keeping in view their ingredients. They suggested that Unani medicines should not be tested on allopathic standards, adding they should be governed under alternative medicines category instead of judging them through medical standards. They proposed to set up an alternative medicine department, whose staff should be appointed from the same profession, in order to register Unani Drug manufacturing units and check the quality of their products. “The ordinary drug inspectors, dealing with pharmaceutical drugs, cannot check the quality of herbal medicines,” they added.

They also proposed to the government to give a seven-year plan to improve the sanitation, hygiene, manufacturing tools, etc., of the manufacturing units to produce quality herbal medicines.

They urged the government immediately stop the crackdown on Unani Drug manufacturing units and save this centuries-old alternative mode of treatment.