Ban on import of Indian medicines lifted

[masterchief_mirza]

Well India is not a only country who sell live saving drugs and what you do if Indian stop supply of live saving drug in a war time than your fm Qureshi beg again in front of India or you buy from alternate have some logic bro

Medical needs and humanitarian issues transcend even a state of war. I see no problem with continuation of Such trade for life saving medications. Totally reasonable. If Hindustan stops supplies at their end, that's a different issue.

 

[OldenWisdom...قول بزرگ]

This is hypocrisy and humiliation of ultimate level. Choosing between standing up for Kashmiri lives while simultaneously going to the culprit for medication... Pakistan has no legs to stand on ... and the fault doesn't lie with India. I mean how can you blame them for making life saving medicines but do blame the industry and politicians in Pakistan who didn't prioritize Pakistani lives. Yet they verbally claim sanctity of Kashmiri lives...

 

[Dubious]

Ban on import of Indian medicines lifted

ISLAMABAD: In order to avoid a severe crisis vis-à-vis availability of life-saving drugs in the local market, the government has lifted the ban on import of medicines and raw material from India.

Statutory regulatory orders (SROs) issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Textile state that the ban on trade with India would remain effective; however, it would not apply to therapeutic products regulated by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap).

“The exemption is given in the best interest of the public and in order to maintain supply of medicines to patients,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said while talking to Dawn.

The two SROs, signed by Director General (Trade Policy) Mohammad Ashraf and available with Dawn, will be published in the Gazette of Pakistan.

It is worth mentioning that after New Delhi’s decision to annex occupied Kashmir on Aug 5, the Pakistan government had on Aug 9 decided to suspend all kinds of trade with India. Initially, the pharmaceutical industry had appealed to the government to relax rules and allow Indian goods imported before the decision. The government relaxed the rules and the goods already arrived in Pakistani airports/seaports had been cleared.

However, since a large quantity medicines and raw material are imported from India, the industry started demanding that the ban be lifted on them as well. Otherwise, it feared, the country could face the severe crisis of medicines, especially life-saving drugs, in a few weeks.

A Drap official, requesting anonymity, said a meeting had been held last week to discuss the issue. “All stakeholders participated in the meeting and informed it that in a few weeks it would be almost impossible to ensure availability of medicines because the pharmaceutical industry depends on Indian medicines and raw material,” he added.

The official said the meeting was also informed that Indian medicines were available at affordable rates and prices of medicines would increase if the government did not go for an alternative arrangement.

“We compiled all their suggestions and sent them to the Ministry of National Health Services, asking the decision-makers to lift the ban or face criticism from the masses as prices of medicines will increase. The third option for the government was to subsidise the medicines, but it appeared to be difficult given the financial condition of the country,” he said.

On Aug 17, the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) had suggested that APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) imported from India to manufacture life-saving products by the local industry should be allowed on the condition that pharmaceutical companies would develop alternative sources of APIs within a period agreed upon with Drap.

The EFP feared that immediate suspension of trade with India without any guideline would affect the pharmaceutical manufacturers and result in shortages of medicines in Pakistan.

Another Drap official, requesting anonymity, said that a number of medicines or their APIs were imported from India and in case of continued ban there would be severe crisis of medicines in the local market. Moreover, the official said, the government’s decision would result in increase in smuggling of medicines and APIs and revenue losses in terms of import duties to the national exchequer.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2019

https://www.dawn.com/news/1503357/ban-on-import-of-indian-medicines-lifted

a SIMILAR thread on the issue is already running!

The people responsible for this blunder of relying on Indian materials for medicine should be hanged.

that is hanging 7 decades of people in bureaucracy / politics/ juridical / policy makers!

Coz all these altogether led to the dependency level we see today!

 

[dray / Rain Man]

Meanwhile, how many Pakistanis have appreciated the fact that India too didn't choose to block the export of life saving medicines to Pakistan?

 

[Jinn Baba]

a SIMILAR thread on the issue is already running

It didnt show up on my feed or show similar threads when I was posting it. Thanks for merging.

 

[The wheel of time]

India should not export medicines, power or anything to Pakistan as that is an enemy country. There should not be any trade or diplomatic relations between us and them.

 

[Smarana Mitra]

China I think makes the same medicine so makes sense to import from China

Are you sure that China makes exactly same medicine? What if some cancer patient is on Indian medicine and suddenly he is asked to use chinese brand. Would you be fine with it? Secondly, Indian medicine ia cheaper than Chinese. India has makes its own API and manufactures the molecules which combined with cheaper Indian labour and lower shipping cost to Pakistan, Indian medicine is at least 30-40% cheaper than Chinese.

So trade with India when its beneficial, even if it means that it helps India more?

Runs counter to all the ranting and raving. Besides does this mean trade is no longer suspended with India?

Utterly confusing!

Besides, what is the plan when Indians no longer want to export medicine to Pak?

Pakistan can import medicines from India, China, USA and few EU countries like UK. But India is far cheaper than all other options. So, unless Pakistan wants to ruin its its finances, it has to import Indian medicine. Pakistan can always import from USA, China at a higher price if India refuses to sell.

We have a pharma industry in Pakistan and they are making great profits. As far as R&D is concerned some of these are subsidiaries using parent company formulas. I know some cases for complex medicines where concentrated chemicals are imported and then they are diluted locally for mass production.

Once it is defined that a cheaper option for sourcing (India) is being eliminated they will have good business feasibility for manufacture more.

Pakistan has pharma industry for making pharmaceutical tools like injection, surgical blades etc and they sell well internationally due to low Pakistani labour cost. But Pakistan doesn't have medicine making industrial infrastructure. There isna difference between making medicinal molecules and making medical instruments.

Developing the complex industry of manufacturing medicine isn't simple that just by restricting imports, domestic industry will grow.

The people responsible for this blunder of relying on Indian materials for medicine should be hanged.

There aren't many countries in the world which can make medicine. USA, China, India, Russia and some EU countries are the only ones who have major medicine manufacturing industry. This is not something that is easy to make and requires lot of research for decades and expertise. Even countries like Iran, which has been trying to indigenise everything for 40 years, depends on medicine imported from outside.

There are other sources for both medicines and raw materials! Even if this ban is lifted, it should be temporary - say three months, so as to allow other sources

The number of countries selling medicines are in single digit. India is the cheapest amongst all. You can get anything cheaper than India only when a country with lower labour cost makes the medicine. But medicine industry is complex and is of high end technology. Hence the smaller or less advanced nations don't have the ability to manufacture them. So, Indian medicine remains the lowest cost medicine in the world. Only transportation cost and political barriers (treaties, tariffs) can make Indian medicine more expensive than other option

 

[halupridol]

Probably Fake news,,,,Pakistani muslims dont fear death,,life of khairat frm enemy idolator inferior hindus is worse thn death for the brave martial stock ,,moreover gau mutra hindus r oppressing kashmiris,,momins r urging n ready for nooklia war n shahadat against kufr,,they cant be importing third class hindu medicine.
,,,if true this hindu medicine must be for the pakistani nonmuslims(the darpok hindus,chritians,ahmadis etc)

 

[Shabi1]

Are you sure that China makes exactly same medicine? What if some cancer patient is on Indian medicine and suddenly he is asked to use chinese brand. Would you be fine with it? Secondly, Indian medicine ia cheaper than Chinese. India has makes its own API and manufactures the molecules which combined with cheaper Indian labour and lower shipping cost to Pakistan, Indian medicine is at least 30-40% cheaper than Chinese.


Pakistan can import medicines from India, China, USA and few EU countries like UK. But India is far cheaper than all other options. So, unless Pakistan wants to ruin its its finances, it has to import Indian medicine. Pakistan can always import from USA, China at a higher price if India refuses to sell.


Pakistan has pharma industry for making pharmaceutical tools like injection, surgical blades etc and they sell well internationally due to low Pakistani labour cost. But Pakistan doesn't have medicine making industrial infrastructure. There isna difference between making medicinal molecules and making medical instruments.

Developing the complex industry of manufacturing medicine isn't simple that just by restricting imports, domestic industry will grow.


There aren't many countries in the world which can make medicine. USA, China, India, Russia and some EU countries are the only ones who have major medicine manufacturing industry. This is not something that is easy to make and requires lot of research for decades and expertise. Even countries like Iran, which has been trying to indigenise everything for 40 years, depends on medicine imported from outside.


The number of countries selling medicines are in single digit. India is the cheapest amongst all. You can get anything cheaper than India only when a country with lower labour cost makes the medicine. But medicine industry is complex and is of high end technology. Hence the smaller or less advanced nations don't have the ability to manufacture them. So, Indian medicine remains the lowest cost medicine in the world. Only transportation cost and political barriers (treaties, tariffs) can make Indian medicine more expensive than other option

There are several massive factories for making medicine in Karachi that I have worked with and as per PPMA Pakistan meets its 70% demand locally.
There is dependence on India for raw materials as they were cheaper but the sourcing can be changed, and has been initiated. Industry is functioning without shortages.

https://www.ppma.org.pk/Profile/pakistan-pharmaceutical-industry/
"
Pakistan has a very vibrant and forward looking Pharma Industry. At the time of independence in 1947, there was hardly any pharma industry in the country. Today Pakistan has about 759 pharmaceutical manufacturing units including those operated by 25 multinationals present in the country. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Industry meets around 70% of the country’s demand of Finished Medicine. The domestic pharma market, in term of share market is almost evenly divided between the Nationals and the Multinationals.

"

 

[newb3e]

Probably Fake news,,,,Pakistani muslims dont fear death,,life of khairat frm enemy idolator inferior hindus is worse thn death for the brave martial stock ,,moreover gau mutra hindus r oppressing kashmiris,,momins r urging n ready for nooklia war n shahadat against kufr,,they cant be importing third class hindu medicine.
,,,if true this hindu medicine must be for the pakistani nonmuslims(the darpok hindus,chritians,ahmadis etc)

strong pishi today you taking like an idiot please check the safrooni bappu suppliers of your he is selling fake pishi!

 

[halupridol]

strong pishi today you taking like an idiot please check the safrooni bappu suppliers of your he is selling fake pishi!

Ok brave martial bhayye

 

[Vapnope]

Indian posters are pissed at this decision while their businessmen continue to make money from this wise decision.

 

[halupridol]

Indian posters are pissed at this decision while their businessmen continue to make money from this wise decision.

True,,,do rupay ke liye kuch bhi karega,,the bhayya trait,,irrespective of religion.
But batein waddi waddi

 

[newb3e]

Ok brave martial bhayye

see again non sense is mixing of Cannabinoids in pishi allowed in vedas?

 

[Smarana Mitra]

Pakistan doesn't buy raw material but buys the molecules. This means that Pakistan buys the main components of te medicine and then mixes it with resins, coatings etc to make capsule or tablets. In tablet, about 90% of the weight is non medicine components like resins etc and only small amount of the weight is real medicine. So, Pakistan does this workof mixing. Nevertheless, the manufacturing of molecules is in India

There are several massive factories for making medicine in Karachi that I have worked with and as per PPMA Pakistan meets its 70% demand locally.
There is dependence on India for raw materials as they were cheaper but the sourcing can be changed, and has been initiated. Industry is functioning without shortages.

https://www.ppma.org.pk/Profile/pakistan-pharmaceutical-industry/
"
Pakistan has a very vibrant and forward looking Pharma Industry. At the time of independence in 1947, there was hardly any pharma industry in the country. Today Pakistan has about 759 pharmaceutical manufacturing units including those operated by 25 multinationals present in the country. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Industry meets around 70% of the country’s demand of Finished Medicine. The domestic pharma market, in term of share market is almost evenly divided between the Nationals and the Multinationals.

"