Legislators assure help to pharma industry

KARACHI: Speakers including legislators have assured pharmaceutical manufacturers to find a way out to resolve the issues affecting the industry after passing 18th Amendment.

"If there is a will there is a way", said Dr Farooq Sattar,former Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and parliamentary leader of MQM in National Assembly while speaking at a seminar on devolution of health sector organised by Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) here on Friday evening.

He said that the politics is an art of finding out possibilities and do-ables. "We have passed 19th Amendment to address the issues relating to judiciary and we can go for 20th Amendment if needed to resolve the problems facing drug manufacturers", he added.

Dr Sattar said that though devolution was very close to him and his party, he is ready to address problems being created in sub sectors of health according to the wishes of stakeholders.

He hinted that these problems can be addressed by using the option of double taxation under fundamental rights, items 6 and 13 or invoking Article 144 of the Constitution.

He said that this issue can be referred to the Council of Common Interest for redressal.

The minister said that he will try to arrange a meeting of PPMA with the Parliamentary Committee for the implementation of 18^th Amendment to resolve this issue.

Chairman NA Standing Committee on Health Dr Nadeem Ahsan said that he has convened a meeting of the committee on February 9, to discuss this issue.

He said it was necessary to remove all the ambiguities before the implementation of 18th Amendment without affecting provincial autonomy.

He said foreign donors have also shown concerns over this issue which is also affecting Pakistan's millennium goals.

Dr Ahsan promised PPMA to consult with Mian Raza Rabbani, head of 18th Amendment implementation committee for addressing these issues.

"We have already sought the time from him", he added.

Chairperson Senate's Standing Committee on Health and deputy parliamentary leader of BNP in Senate, Begum Kulsoom Perveen supported the demand of having a drug regulatory authority in the centre before developing the similar expertise and organisations in the provinces.

She questioned that who will check the quality of medicines and who will regulate exports and imports.

Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan said that the government should give importance to national pharmaceutical industry and resolve its problems.

Earlier, PPMA chairman Dr Haroon Qassim, in his welcome address, expressed fears that the devolution of Health Ministry from federation to provinces under 18th Amendment will create problems for the patients as well as the industry in terms of pricing, registration, quality control and licensing.

He said that PPMA is not apposing the devolution of health ministry at provincial level under 18th Amendment. "What we are saying is that all the functions of Ministry of Health can go to the provinces except few things like licensing, pricing and quality control and registration should remain with federation until unless provinces become capable of handling them", they observed.

Haroon Qasim said that all over the world, drug testing, licensing, registration and pricing are done at federal level. The examples of FDA of USA and MHR of United Kingdom can be cited in this regard, he added.

Former chairman PPMA Dr Kaiser Waheed also spoke on the occasion.