The Parliamentary Health Committee, in the person of its Chairman, Deputy Assem Araji, raised a crisis that the medicine distribution center in Karantina, affiliated with the Ministry of Health, was free of drugs for cancer and chronic diseases, while the patient might find them in the private sector, always according to Araji, who asked, “Where is the medicine?”, directing a warning To the importers of medicines and warning them not to take a stand once morest them unless they provide the medicine.
Accordingly, the Syndicate of Pharmaceutical Importers and Warehouse Owners refuted the facts, explaining that it is the responsibility of the Banque du Liban and the Ministry of Health to determine the quantities and subsidized items that are allowed to be imported, and the role of the importer begins when he obtains prior approvals, to then communicate with the manufacturers abroad and secure the shipment as quickly as possible. time. But if the quantities are not sufficient to cover the needs of the market, the Syndicate confirmed that the limited budget is the reason, while the financing is not the responsibility of the importer, pointing out that the Ministry of Health incurred a deficit during the year 2021 that was financed by the importers. Anyone to pay it off?
The Syndicate of Drug Importers and Warehouse Owners, Karim Jabara, reveals to Al Markaziya that “the Ministry of Public Health has started giving prior approvals, and quantities of 100% subsidized and partially subsidized medicines reached this week, and additional quantities will arrive next week, part of which the Ministry obtained, provided that The shipments continue to arrive gradually.”
He points out that “the syndicate agreed with the Minister of Health, Firas Al-Abyad, to decide the ministry’s share of each shipment that arrives, and the remaining quantities are distributed to the private sector. Knowing that the ministry only takes subsidized medicines that win in tenders. As for the private sector, contrary to what was suggested. With it, he does not represent private companies, but all health insurance outside the ministry, i.e. the insurance and the insurance of the army and security forces…”.
Jabara asserts that “the Ministry of Health has not set a budget that would allow it to purchase medicine since the middle of last year, and we delivered quantities to it without funds. We hoped to approve any budget and allow the Ministry to cover the needs not only of pharmaceuticals, but of the health sector as a whole.”
With regard to the impact of drug prices on the decline in the exchange rate of the dollar on the black market, he answers, “Certainly the unsubsidized medicines (the subsidy was lifted in July 2021) will decrease in price because they are directly linked to the exchange rate, they are the ones that do not need a prescription and are linked to general medicine and are taken irregularly for a period of time. As brief as antibiotics…also partially subsidized drugs, according to a decision issued last month, with a rate ranging between 25 and 80 percent, the unsubsidized portion of which will be affected by the exchange rate, and they are medications for chronic diseases.”
