Outrage over shortage of fever pills amidst surge in 5th wave of Covid-19
Zubair Qureshi
The federal capitals’ markets are hit by shortage of ‘fever pills’ particularly various brand names of Paracetamol—Panadol, Calpol, Febrol, Disprol— and the chemists are attributing this shortage to erratic supply and the recently imposed 17 per cent General Sales Tax on their raw material.
A box of 200 tablets of Panadol costing Rs 340 previously is available in the black market for Rs 600 and the local chemists and pharmacists are turning away the customers seeking these tablets.
The local customers are panicked over shortage of fever pills which are commonly used in fever and body-ache.
Their absence from medical stores has caused panic among the customers.
While talking to Pakistan Observer on Friday, an elderly person Amjad Shah said he had three members of his family suffering from acute fever and the doctors advised them to use Panadol, two tablets three times a day, but he was not able to find the medicines anywhere in Islamabad.
I have moved from one chemist shop to another but am unable to find Panadol or other fever pills, he regretted.
“A friend of mine who runs a chemist shop gave me a strip of 20 tablets and asked me to see him next week as he was short of supply,” said Shah.
On the other hand, the chemists and manufacturers associations said these pills’ supply had been affected after the government decided to impose 17 per cent General Sales Tax (GST) in January this year on the import of the raw salt needed to manufacture these drugs.
Although the Finance Ministry has assured these companies refunding the tax, yet they thought it would not keep its promise.
The drug markets of the city are hit by the shortage at a time when it is experiencing a surge in the 5th wave of COVID-19.
According to the District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia, Islamabad’s positivity on Friday was 8.
9 per cent as 615 people tested positive after 6,881 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.
Pakistan imports most of its pharmaceutical raw material from China which was not taxed in the past.
Panadol is an essential item in every household’s medical box and its absence has led to a countrywide outrage.
According to Chairman of the Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association Ghulam Hashim Noorani the price of paracetamol’s raw material in the international market has increased 500 per cent, that is why pharmaceutical companies have stopped manufacturing it.
“Previously, it was priced at PKR 900 (Dh 18.
96) per kg, but now it costs PKR 3,200 (Dh 67.
40) per kg,” said Noorani.
He said that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had notified new prices and paracetamol would soon be available in the market as per the new price list.
Another reason for the shortage is high demand, he said.
Pakistan is in the grip of the 5th wave of COVID-19 and its number of new cases and casualties is steadily picking on a daily basis.
Friday turned out to be the second consecutive day with more than 40 casualties due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
