Drug prices surge up to 500% in Pindi

Prices of a wide range of medicines have surged sharply in the open market and the pharmaceutical wholesale hub of Rawalpindi's Bohar Bazaar, with increases ranging from 50% to as high as 500%. Essential medicines, including those for diabetes and hypertension, antibiotics, gastrointestinal conditions and cough remedies, have all seen significant price hikes. In the open market, the price of an insulin injection device has risen from Rs2,200 to Rs4,720—an increase of over Rs2,500. The cost of vitamin B supplements has also gone up, increasing by Rs100 from Rs500 to Rs600. Similarly, a packet of indigestion and acidity medication has climbed from Rs530 to Rs620 after a Rs90 increase. Nutritional supplements and vitamin tablets have risen from Rs480 to Rs510 per pack. A particularly steep increase has been recorded in thyroid medication, which has jumped from Rs85 to Rs290. Meanwhile, a commonly used typhoid treatment has increased from Rs805 to Rs930 following a Rs125 rise. Prices of several other life-saving medicines have also been raised. Critics have described the surge as "unbearable", noting that insulin devices reaching between Rs2,000 and Rs5,000 effectively deprive low-income patients of access to essential treatment, and have called for immediate government intervention. Arif Ali, Secretary of the Medical Store Retailers Association, along with Dr Zeeshan, say that pharmaceutical companies have implemented "staggering" increases across multiple products. They added that insulin, vital for managing diabetes, has more than doubled in price.   BOX Pindi hospitals to get specialised filter clinics   our correspondent RAWALPINDI. Authorities concerned have submitted PC-1 proposals for the establishment of state-of-the-art filter clinics at three government hospitals in the city to the Punjab government through the provincial Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department. The introduction of these filter clinics is expected to bring about a significant improvement in the healthcare system within these hospitals. Recognising the long-standing need for such facilities, a decision has now been taken to establish filter clinics at three major public hospitals in the city. The aim is not only to ensure accurate assessment of patients' conditions prior to indoor admission, but also to provide necessary treatment where appropriate and discharge patients directly from the filter clinics, thereby reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. This will help ensure timely diagnosis and treatment while easing the burden on indoor departments. Each filter clinic will have a dedicated building, a separate waiting area, all essential medicines, electro-medical equipment, as well as qualified doctors and supporting staff. A PC-1 worth Rs88 million has been prepared for the filter clinic at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Rs41.8m for Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital (RTH), and Rs51.5m 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, upon approval, funds will be allocated and work on the projects will commence. It is pertinent to note that the emergency departments, outpatient departments (OPDs), and indoor admission wards of all three hospitals are currently facing severe overcrowding due to an exceptionally high influx of patients. As a result, the healthcare system is under considerable strain, often preventing patients from receiving timely and quality treatment in accordance with the nature of their illness.