ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination met in the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla to discuss the various issues pertaining to the ministry and its attached departments.

The committee expressed concern over the poor performance of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and directed that it may develop proper liaison with all the provinces to ensure the quality of drugs, especially in rural and far-flung areas as people of those areas were suffering badly due to unavailability of quality drugs especially lifesaving drugs.

The committee further directed that the DRAP may take stringent measures to control the prices and shortage of medicines frequently being used by the patients.

The committee recommended that the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination may postpone the upcoming exams of MD, CAT as most of the students were not prepared due to heavy rains and flood in the country.

The committee expressed dissatisfaction over the acute shortage of quality nurses in government and private hospitals of Pakistan.

The committee, therefore, directed that the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination may arrange training courses and workshops for capacity building of nurses and offer various incentives to Pakistani women so that they prefer to join this noble profession.

The committee expressed grave concern over the disaster of recent flood across the country and offered Fateha for the departed souls of innocent citizens.

The committee deemed that it is our prime responsibility to work collectively for rehabilitation of the affectees so that they could restart their routine life.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022