The Federal Health Ministry has written a letter to the Ministry of Finance in view of the fear of a drug crisis in the country.
According to health ministry officials if LCs were not opened for the raw materials of medicines there was a possibility of a crisis of medicines as pharmaceutical companies have been left with only a few weeks of raw materials.
A letter has been written to the Ministry of Finance on the recommendation of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
On the other hand, The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association has said that Indian raw material manufacturers had declared Pakistan a default and therefore Indian and Chinese companies were no longer giving raw materials to Pakistanis on credit. If the problem of opening LCs is not resolved there will be a serious crisis of medicines and medical devices in the country.
In addition, the spokesman of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has said that there was no restriction on the import of petroleum and pharmaceutical products and Governor SBP had clear instructions that LCs for petroleum and pharmaceuticals should not be stopped.
The spokesman also said that banks which were not opening LCs for pharmaceutical imports should be identified.
