Health is of the utmost priority and therefore we tend to go to proper certified doctors for our checkups and treatment. Their fee causes a dent in our pockets, let alone the rising costs of medicines. According to the Drug Pricing Policy 2018, drug prices have increased by 50% of the CPI for scheduled/essential drugs and the non-scheduled drugs by 70% of the CPI. Similarly, the threshold drugs (having price less than Rs3 per tablet) were increased by 100% of the CPI. For 80% of our pollution, this ends up becoming a huge expense, especially when all health related things are rising at such very fast rate but their salaries remain stagnant.

There is, however, something which caught my attention while searching for alternatives for my father and this is something which the layman can opt for. An Access Programme offered by a company provides a basket of high-quality FDA approved imported medicines for just $1 a month per treatment. This program is geared towards the patients in need who cannot afford such expensive medicines on their own.

NUZAIR A. VIRANI,

Karachi, November 22.