ISLAMABAD, Feb 21 (Alliance News): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to review reforms in the health and pharmaceutical sectors, directing the establishment of a state-of-the-art drug testing laboratory in Islamabad to ensure medicine quality meets international standards.
The prime minister ordered the launch of mobile hospitals to provide healthcare facilities in Islamabad’s outskirts, as well as in Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir, and Balochistan.
He also instructed an operation against counterfeit drugs in coordination with provincial governments, stressing that fraudsters cannot be allowed to endanger public health.
Shehbaz Sharif called for a comprehensive plan for the regulation and development of the pharmaceutical sector, urging strict action against Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) officials involved in malpractices. He emphasized the need for research to boost pharmaceutical exports and directed an expedited implementation of DRAP reforms.
The meeting reviewed progress on registering locally manufactured drugs in a digital system, finalization of the National Drugs Policy, and the recruitment of 94 new drug inspectors to enhance oversight. The prime minister insisted on transparency in these appointments.
Officials reported that Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports currently stand at $500 million, with ongoing reforms aimed at expanding the sector, including the establishment of an Export Directorate within DRAP.
The Health Ministry also briefed on initiatives to enhance the surgical sector’s capacity to boost exports further.
