During a meeting, the Federal Parliamentary Committee on Health suggested postponing the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) in the wake of recent floods.
Committee chairman Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti stated that the increase in medicine prices was a major issue. While suggesting that the process for registering new drugs should be expedited, Mr. Chishti mentioned that Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had informed the committee that a decision on withdrawing price deregulation would be made after a survey. It is worth noting that the caretaker government, just a day before its tenure expired, decided to deregulate drug prices, which allowed pharmaceutical companies to increase prices on their own. The minister gave a similar statement during the committee’s previous meeting last month.
Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur also highlighted that medicine prices were continuously rising, making them unaffordable for the general public, especially after the devastating floods. She emphasized the urgent need for measures to ensure access to affordable medicines. Ministry officials informed the committee that the high cost of certain medicines was due to them being imported. The committee was also informed about the alarming prevalence of counterfeit medicines being sold in the market at high prices. Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti directed the ministry to submit a detailed report on medicine pricing in the next meeting.
Mustafa Kamal informed the committee members that an online portal had been launched to streamline the regulatory procedures for importing medical devices. He stated that since its launch, applicants no longer needed to visit the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) office, and 180 cases had already been processed through the portal.
Senator Danesh Kumar raised concerns that every pregnancy nowadays seems to be a C-section, which is unfair to women. He added that doctors were prescribing a large number of medicines to patients to receive commissions and foreign trips. Senator Irfanul Haque Siddiqui appreciated Senator Danesh Kumar, saying he had raised a very serious issue. He suggested that details be sought from every doctor about the number of C-sections they have performed during their careers. The committee chairman recommended submitting data from federal and provincial hospitals regarding the number of C-sections performed. Upon the senators’ request, the committee chairman, Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, approved the formation of a subcommittee to further investigate the matter.
Senator Fawzia Arshad expressed concern over the rising number of dengue cases in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and stressed the need for immediate preventive measures, including fumigation, to control the spread of the disease.
MDCAT Exam Delay Recommended
The committee considered the concern raised by Senator Mirza Mohammad Afridi regarding the MDCAT examination scheduled for October 6. Senator Afridi emphasized that due to the devastating floods in several parts of the country, it would be extremely difficult for students from affected and underprivileged areas to appear for the test. He urged that the examination be delayed until November to provide an equal opportunity for all candidates, particularly those from poor and flood-affected families. The PMDC president informed the committee that a meeting with the test-conducting body was scheduled for today (Wednesday) to review the matter. He said that 138,000 candidates had registered for the MDCAT, and all aspects would be taken into account before the committee is apprised of the final decision.
