MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Medicinal drug prices have increased as a result of government limitations on it's import in northern Balkh province and banking curbs, according to pharmacists on Friday.
They said the policy regarding medicine import is old and according to this policy they were unable to import cancer, heart, diabetic, Covid-19 and other diseases medicinal drugs.
Pharmacists said due to curbs on the banking system they were unable to transfer money to exporting companies in foreign countries and the transfer of money through the Hawala system was costly.
Syed Akram Sadaat, one of the wholesalers of medicines, told Pajhwok Afghan News currently pharmacies in Balkh were faced with a shortage of cancer, heart and diabetic diseases.
“Our main issue is that government did not readdress import strategy for Turkish medicine and our containers loaded with medicines had been stopped at customs offices. Still the Amanullah Khan era strategy was being implemented here,” he said.
He said another reason behind the surge in the prices of medicines were curbs on banking system in the country. He said in the past money were transferred to medicine companies in foreign country through banks easily but now the transfer of every $2,000 cost $100.
Naveed Safari, a pharmacist in Mazar-i-Sharif Arya Market, linked hike in the prices of medicines with curbs on the banking system in the country.
He said: “Curbs on banking system cause hike in the prices of medicine, in the past money was directly transferred to the companies but now other methods were used.”
Eng. Mohammad Shoiab Sapi, head of the Medicine Services Society, linked curbs on banking system post regime change last year and depreciation of afghani currency with soaring medicine prices.
He also said the medicine import strategy approved 60 years ago included 1700 types of medicine but now Afghanistan required the import of 17,000 types of medicine.
Samim Naseri, the resident of Mazar-i-Sharif, said the price of medicines had increased recently.
“I used to buy a packet of paracetamol for 10 afs, but now they give it at 100 afs in many places, I bought a bottle of cough syrup for 50 afs for me, but now its rate increased to 70, same is other medicines.”
Dr. Javid Seraji, a senior health department official while referring to the above issue, said government curbs on medicines in the market was due to the presence of expired medicines.
He said they collected 20 tonnes of expired medicines from the market so far and approved a new law against hoarders, adding that no one would be allowed to sell medicine against the price list.
It is pertinent to mention that currently, Pakistani, Turkish, Indian, Chinese and Arabic medicines were available in Afghanistan markets.
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