KARACHI: An emergent meeting of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) was held here on Monday at PMA House, Karachi to discuss the covid situation in the country and the issue of medicine prices and their shortage.

 

The meeting was presided over through video link by Dr. Salma Aslam Kundi, Hon. President PMA Centre. The meeting was attended by Dr. S.M. Qaisar Sajjad, Hon. Secretary General PMA Centre, Dr. Qazi Wasiq, Hon. Treasurer PMA Centre, Dr. Syed Tipu Sultan, Former President PMA Centre, Dr. Mirza Ali Azhar, Ex-President PMA Sindh, Dr. Sonia Naqvi, President PMA Karachi, Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, General Secretary PMA Karachi, Dr. Hamid Manzoor and other senior members of PMA.

 

The meeting expressed its concern over the incessant increasing positivity ratio of Covid-19 throughout Pakistan. Although the positivity ratio in Karachi has decreased down but it’s still higher. This is all due to our negligence in adopting preventive measures. PMA enthusiastically welcomes the international cricket and players in Pakistan. It will absolutely boost the soft image of Pakistan and will provide immense leisure to the cricket lovers but unfortunately the situation being observed during on gong PSL at National Stadium Karachi is horrifying, nobody is seen adopting SOPs.

 

Spectators at stadium are seen without mask and without maintaining social distance. This could worsen the Covid situation and the consequences could lead to postponement of PSL like the past year. PMA requests Pakistan Cricket Board to strictly implement SOPs during the tournament. Due to the worsening situation of Covid-19 we request government to implement SOPs strictly everywhere in the country. We also request public to adopt preventive measures, Wear mask whenever you go out, keep social distance, wash or sanitize your hands with proper intervals, avoid shaking hands and hugging and avoid going out unnecessarily.

 

The meeting also expressed its concern over the shortage of medicine and its price hike in the country. Unfortunately, the present government has eleven times increased the drug prices during its tenure. In such conditions when there is scarcity of health facilities at public hospitals, this increment of medicine prices is adding to the miseries of the people. In this situation there is news of shortage of an antipyretic medicine and our media is reporting the issue with brand name of this medicine which will affect its price, sellers will hoard their stock and sell it in black (higher prices).

 

We request media to always use generic name instead of brand name, while reporting such issues. We suggest people that there are many other brands available in the market with the generic name of Paracetamol that can be used to reduce fever so they can buy any of these. PMA also demanded the government to make sure the availability of all necessary medicine in the market at their fixed prices.