Panadol shortage: Govt powerlessness or moral dilemma amid flood disasters

The widely used generic drug used to treat fevers and minor pains, Panadol, started vanishing from markets as the pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan
(GSK) reportedly halted its production citing ‘cost-effectiveness’.

The range of Panadol and paracetamol are likely to completely vanish from the markets in the coming days after a halt to the production by the pharma firm GSK a month ago.

The generic drug shortage came at a time when the people across the country including flood affectees were suffering from epidemics including water-borne diseases and others after monsoon rains and devastating floods.

لیجیے مہنگے بجلی،گیس،تیل،آٹا،دالوں،سبزیوں، گھی وغیرہ سے تنگ غریب عوام اب سیلاب اور ڈینگی کے دوران پیناڈول جیسی بنیادی دوا کی شارٹیج اور بلیک کا بھی شکار۔ اس گولی باز شہبازحکومت کے پاس نہ مہنگائی کا علاج ہے نہ عوام کے کسی درد کی دوا۔ #Panadol pic.twitter.com/O6WvsQaWnu

— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) September 11, 2022

It is pertinent to mention here that 90% of consumers in Pakistan only use Panadol to treat fever, headaches and vaccination shot aches, whereas, the pharma firm GSK used to produce 450 million tablets monthly. It was also learnt that the local Panadol tablets are fake while Panadol Extend was imported and original.

Sources said that Panadol manufacturer had sought to hike the price of tablets while the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) sent a summary to the health ministry to make an increase of Rs1 each tablet, however, it was rejected by the federal cabinet besides ordering to set per tablet at Rs.1.35.

The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) said in a statement that the manufacturer could not sell the medicine at less than the production cost.

On the other hand, the Punjab health department denied media reports regarding the shortage of medicines including life-saving drugs and said that adequate stocks of medicines were present in the province. The department also rejected the reports regarding a halt in life-saving drug production including fever medicine.

Analysts slammed the federal government for being powerless on all fronts to provide relief to the masses and creating uncertainty, especially the flood-affected people who are relying on local and foreign aid for food and health supplies.

The media reports highlighted the outbreak of different diseases including malaria, diarrhoea, dengue and others in the parts of the country which were common after monsoon rains excluding emergency situation like floods.

On the other hand, the relentless behaviour of the profiteers who are everywhere in all sectors including health also increased troubles for the nationals which showed the moral dilemma of the society.