The death of more than 150 cardiac patients who died in the recent weeks due to medicines’ reaction has sent scare not only in Pakistan but in countries where Pakistani medicines are being exported. According to law, any medicine manufactured in Pakistan cannot be given permission to be imported. If the drug is life saving and is in short supply, recommendations from well-known doctors are sought to allow import of such life saving medicines. Pakistani medicines have always enjoyed good reputation in the markets abroad but in the last couple of years, this industry has faced problems. I have served as export manager in a local pharmaceutical firm for five years. My company used to manufacture and export medicines to Sri Lanka and Yemen. I travelled to these countries for the registration of Pakistani medicines there and to obtain feedbacks of doctors regarding efficacy of our products. Sri Lankan doctors always appreciated the quality and price of Pakistani medicines and this is why the health ministry in Sri Lanka did not hesitate in granting registration to Pakistani medicines immediately. My experience in Yemen was no different.
After the recent incident of deaths of cardiac patients, we have lost the faith of our own people and our friendly countries. It is high time that our government gave serious attention to pharmaceutical industry in rebuilding the faith of our own people and the world at large.
M RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi