Pakistan: major medicine shortage as forex slide hurts drug, API imports amid worsening economic crisis

The situation in Pakistan appears to be resembling the 2022 Sri Lanka crisis more and more every day.

Now, hospitals and healthcare facilities in Pakistan are staring at a major shortage of medicines as the country's economic woes continue. Operation theatres in Pakistan are left with less than 2 weeks' worth of supply of anaesthetics, as per local reports.

With dwindling foreign exchange reserves, the country has not been able to import medicines in required quantities. The import of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), which are used to manufacture drugs, has also been affected. This has resulted in Pakistan's domestic manufacturers cutting production of important medicines, as per reports.

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The drug manufacturing industry has said that the cost of making drugs is constantly increasing due to rising fuel costs and transportation charges and the sharp devaluation of the Pakistani rupee.

Recently, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) called for the intervention of the government to prevent the situation from turning into a disaster.

(With ANI inputs)