Wafaqi Mohtasib forms committee to address health issues

Islamabad: The Wafaqi Mohtasib on Tuesday constituted a ten-member committee to study and formulate recommendations for establishing Bio-Equivalence and Bio Availability Laboratory (BEBA), in Pakistan. The committee has been formed in response to complaints from general public regarding lack of quality health care services in the country.

Taking cognisance of the situation, Wafaqi Mohtasib Syed Tahir Shahbaz has taken the initiative for setting up of internationally recognised Bio Equivalence Centre which does not exist at present in the country. The facility, when established, would provide correct assessment of the impact of various drugs, produced in the country, on user patients. This technically sophisticated facility would be first of its kind in the country for ensuring availability of quality medicines to the people, besides providing help to various pharmaceutical laboratories in determining the required effectiveness of various drugs produced by them. Currently for such assessments, drugs are being sent to similar laboratories abroad, which drains out considerable foreign exchange of the country.

The committee is headed by former Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Asif Mumtaz Sukhera, and has other eminent professionals and administrators on its panel such as Former CEO, DRAP Dr. M. Aslam Afghani, Dr. Syed Khalid Saeed Bukhari of USAID, Prof. Dr. Zabita Khan Shinwari of PTPMA, Chairman, Hilton Pharma Sardar Muhammad Yasin, a WHO Expert and Chairman, PCSIR Dr. Sultan Ghani, besides Senior government functionaries of relevant ministries. Dr. Khalid Ranjha, Advisor, Wafaqi Mohtasib will act as Secretary to the Committee.

The committee would examine the existing facilities of BEBA within the country and abroad and recommend setting up of state of the art Bio Equivalence Centre in the country as per WHO guidelines. It would also recommend good clinical and lab practices in the country. The committee would also determine qualification, experience and skill of professionals to be hired for the BEBA from national and international available talents. The BEBA would be financially and administratively an autonomous body. The committee would submit its report within two months from the date of its constitution.