Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected a summary of the Ministry of National Health Services to increase the prices of more than 10 medicines in the local market.
The PM rejected the health ministry’s proposal during a meeting of the federal cabinet held in Islamabad today.
“I can not support the increase in prices of medicine”, a statement quoted Premier saying this during the meeting.
There had been shortage of few basic medicines in last few days and Health Minister had denied any shortage of medicine from the market.
The meeting also reviewed the current flood situation and related relief activities. Other economic and political issues faced by the coalition government were also reviewed during the meeting.
Despite the recommendations of the health ministry, the PM refused to increase the prices of over 40 essential medicines in the market. He said hiking medicine prices cannot be allowed in the current situation and will not be acceptable in any case.
The premier’s directive on maintaining medicine prices comes almost a month after the federal cabinet previously rejected a proposal to increase the prices of 35 medicines. It was decided at the time that no increase in the prices of medicines would be entertained without the approval of the federal cabinet.
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