Over USD 36 million of anti-rabies and anti-venom vaccineshave been imported by Pakistan from India due to lack of manufacturing capacityin the country, according to a media report.
The Nation newspaper on Thursday reported that in the last16 months, Pakistan imported anti-rabies and anti-venom vaccines worth over Rs250 crores (USD 36 million) from India.
Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) submitted thestatistics in the Senate Standing Committee after Senator Rehman Malik askedabout the quantity and value of medicines being imported from India.
He also sought a reply on the capacity of governmentdepartments for manufacturing thevaccines.
In its reply, NHS said that both anti-rabies and anti-venomserum were manufactured in Pakistan by the National Institute of Health, whilea private company also manufactured anti-venom serum locally, the report said.
However, the capacity of both manufacturers was not enoughto fulfil the demand due to which the vaccines are imported by duly-approvedregistration holders of these products from India.
The report submitted by NHS also revealed that there was agap in demand and supply of vaccines in different regions of the country.
Senator Malik suggested that it must be made mandatory forlocal manufacturers to produce these vaccines as Pakistan is self-sufficient inmedical raw material and that vaccines manufactured here will be much moreaffordable.