The Senate was informed today that the caretaker government has not enhanced the prices of medicines.

Minister for National Health Services Dr Nadeem Jan told the House during Question Hour that we have held talks with the pharma industry in order to prevent increase in prices of medicines.

He said the government has launched a portal and mobile telephone service where people can lodge their complaints regarding the pricing, shortage and quality of medicines. He said the government is also carrying out market surveys in this regard. 

Dr Nadeem Jan said the Federal government is working in coordination with the provinces to deal with the issue of spurious drugs.

The Minister said the public sector hospitals face liabilities of twelve billion rupees. However, the government is trying to ensure the availability of essential lifesaving drugs at the hospitals.

He told the House Pakistan is hosting a global health security summit this month with the aim to collaborate with global leaders in order to ensure equity-based pandemic preparedness.

He said the initiative of establishing Pharma Park has been taken to uplift the pharmaceutical industry.

Responding to a supplementary question, the Minister for National Health Services said no case of new Covid Variant JN.1, has been reported in Pakistan. He said we are on high alert and vaccination against Covid is also continuing.

Taking the floor, Leader of the House Ishaq Dar pointed out that health and education are devolved subjects and greater responsibility lies with the provinces to enhance their spending on them.

Responding to a Calling Attention Notice in the House, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi said that sufficient quantity of Urea is available in the country to meet the requirements of the farmers.

He said an artificial shortage of the commodity was created by the profiteers and hoarders due to reduction in the buffer stock. 

The Minister said in the backdrop of this situation, the Federal and Provincial governments as well as the fertilizer industry have been keeping an eye on the availability and price of Urea. 

He said the supply of Urea to the provinces has been enhanced and the provincial governments are taking action against the hoarding.

He said the Punjab government registered 950 FIRs and imposed fines to the tune of 104 million rupees on hoarders.

The Minister informed that the Sindh government has also taken necessary measures and imposed fines of four million rupees. He said the situation vis-à-vis the availability and price of Urea has improved as a result of these steps.

He said the price of Urea bag has come down to about 4450 rupees from over five thousand rupees.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs said two cargoes carrying ninety-five thousand tons of imported Urea have reached Pakistan. He expressed the confidence that this will further bring down the price of the commodity in the coming days.

Earlier, at the outset, the House offered fateha for the departed soul of former Senator Sartaj Aziz, who passed away the other day as well as those who were martyred in recent acts of terrorism.

The House has now been prorogued.