It seems that our current government is making every effort to keep the masses in distress and in a state of misery. Today, we are not only facing shortage of sugar and other commodities of daily use, but even commonly used medicines as well. It is extremely disheartening to note here that in this record cold weather, simple cough syrups have gone missing from the market. Upon enquiry from the medical representative of the concerned company, I was informed that due to some policy decision of the Ministry of Health, the raw material for this drug cannot be imported and thus many companies have stopped manufacturing such syrups. I humbly request the honorable Prime Minister to look into this matter and ensure availability of these common medicines. DR. AMTUL QAYYOOM, Karachi, January 15.