New Delhi, April 18
The US-Iran conflict has disrupted supplies of life-saving medicines and infant milk formula in Pakistan, exposing gaps in the country's healthcare preparedness and policy framework, a report has said.
According to a report published in Pakistan Observer, the supply shock has led to shortages and rising prices, causing distress among patients, particularly those dependent on critical drugs and imported nutritional products.
Mohammad Atif Hanif Baloch, President of the Wholesale Chemists Council of Pakistan, was quoted as saying that the government lacks a clear policy to ensure uninterrupted availability of essential medicines or mechanisms to control prices.
"If the conflict in the Gulf region continues, prices of medicines, including those used for cancer, diabetes, insulin and heart diseases could rise sharply," he added.
He further stated that there could also be a severe shortage of infant formula, which is entirely imported, and the burden would fall disproportionately on low-income groups.
Moreover, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has flagged concerns over medicine availability as the crisis disrupts global supply chains.
In addition, Pakistan relies heavily on imports for both finished drugs and raw materials, known as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), with industry estimates suggesting nearly 90 per cent of APIs are sourced through Gulf ports.
Additionally, a Health Ministry official said that existing medicine stocks may not last beyond two months if supply disruptions persist.
Dr Akram Sultan, a former health official, said Pakistan's failure to develop domestic API production could severely impact the availability of medicines, vaccines and essential raw materials.
"Pakistan currently has no effective strategy to produce pharmaceutical raw materials locally, and the private sector has not invested adequately in this area," he said.
Industry bodies also flagged policy bottlenecks, including delays in price approvals, as a major constraint in responding to the crisis.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association warned of shortages in essential paediatric tuberculosis medicines, cautioning that this could lead to a surge in drug-resistant TB among children.
Disruptions are already affecting patients undergoing cardiac, cancer and transplant treatments, according to the report.
- IANS
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