Drug prices cannot be raised arbitrarily: State minister

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhit today (11 May) urged pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders not to increase medicine prices arbitrarily, saying such moves could create difficulties for both the public and the government.

“Pharmaceutical companies are business entities and they need profit. It is not right to keep medicine prices frozen for years while other costs keep rising,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a stakeholder consultation meeting titled “Strengthening Health Sector Capacity” held at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka.

“At the same time, we do not want a policy that allows arbitrary increases in medicine prices. Our main goal is to maintain a balance so that neither the people nor the government are put in difficulty,” he added.

The event was jointly organised by the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the World Bank.

The minister said, “We have been in government for only two and a half months. We assumed office through a long-awaited July Uprising. Public expectations are very high. But after taking responsibility, we have found that the health sector is in a state of disrepair.”

Highlighting the condition of hospitals across the country, he said, “In the past 5-7 years, many hospitals have not received even basic maintenance. In some places, there are buildings but no equipment, and in others, there is a shortage of medicines.”

He further said, “We want to ensure minimum healthcare and life-saving medicines for the people.”

Officials present at the event included Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Professor Dr. Pravath Chandra Biswas, Additional Secretary Saiful ATM Islam, along with representatives from the private health sector, pharmaceutical owners and senior officials of the ministry.