Pakistan Economic Crisis: Patients Struggle for Essential Medicines

Islamabad: The ongoing economic crisis in Pakistan has badly hit the healthcare system where patients have been struggling for essential medicines. The lack of forex reserves in the country has affected Pakistan’s capacity to import the required medicines.

As a result, local pharmaceutical manufacturers have been forced to slash their production as patients suffer in hospitals. As per Pakistan media reports, the operation theatres are left with less than the two-week stocks of anaesthetics needed for sensitive surgeries, including for heart, cancer and kidney.

The drug makers have blamed the financial system for the crisis in the healthcare system by claiming that commercial banks are not issuing new Letters of Credit for their imports.

Pakistan medicine manufacturing is highly import-dependent with almost 95 per cent of the drugs requiring raw materials from other nations, including India. The drug manufacturing industry has said that the cost of making drugs is constantly increasing due to rising fuel costs, transportation charges and the sharp devaluation of the Pakistani rupee.