RAWALPINDI:
Prices of a wide range of medicines have skyrocketed in the open market and at the pharmaceutical wholesale center in Rawalpindi’s Bohar Bazaar, with increases ranging from 50% to as high as 500%.
Essential medicines, including those for diabetes and hypertension, antibiotics, gastrointestinal diseases and cough medicines, have all seen significant price increases.
In the open market, the price of an insulin injection device has gone up from Rs 2,200 to Rs 4,720 – an increase of over Rs 2,500.
The cost of vitamin B supplements has also increased, increasing by Rs100 from Rs500 to Rs600. Similarly, a packet of indigestion and acidity medicine has gone up from Rs 530 to Rs 620 after an increase of Rs 90. Dietary supplements and vitamin tablets have increased from Rs 480 to Rs 510 per pack.
A particularly steep increase has been recorded in thyroid medicine, which has risen from Rs85 to Rs290. Meanwhile, a commonly used typhoid treatment has gone up from Rs805 to Rs930 after an increase of Rs125. The prices of several other life-saving drugs have also been raised.
Critics have described the increase as “unbearable”, noting that insulin devices that fetch between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000. effectively depriving low-income patients of access to essential treatment, and has called for immediate government intervention.
Arif Ali, secretary of the Medical Store Retailers Association, together with Dr. Zeeshan, says pharmaceutical companies have implemented “staggering” increases across multiple products.
They added that insulin, essential for managing diabetes, has more than doubled in price.
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Pindi hospitals to get specialized filter clinics
our correspondent
RAWALPINDI. The authorities concerned have submitted PC-1 proposals for setting up advanced filter clinics in three government hospitals in the city to the Punjab government through the province’s Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department.
The introduction of these filter clinics is expected to bring about a significant improvement in the health care of these hospitals.
Recognizing the long-standing need for such facilities, a decision has now been taken to establish filter clinics in three major public hospitals in the city. The purpose is not only to ensure an accurate assessment of patients’ condition prior to indoor admission, but also to provide necessary treatment where relevant, and to discharge patients directly from the filter clinics, thereby reducing unnecessary hospitalizations. This will help to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment, while at the same time easing the burden on indoor departments.
Each filter clinic will have a dedicated building, a separate waiting area, all necessary medicines, electro-medical equipment and qualified doctors and support staff.
A PC-1 worth Rs 88 million has been prepared for the filter clinic at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Rs 41.8 million for Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital (RTH) and Rs 51.5 million for Benazir Bhutto General Hospital (BBGH), all of which have been submitted for approval.
The PC-1 proposals for all three hospitals will be presented before the Planning and Development Wing Punjab, where after approval funds will be allocated and work on the projects will begin.
It is pertinent to note that the Emergency Departments, Outpatient Departments (OPDs) and Inpatient Departments of all three hospitals are currently facing severe overcrowding due to an unusually high influx of patients.
As a result, the healthcare system is under significant strain, which often prevents patients from receiving timely and quality treatment according to the nature of their illness.
