The parliament decided on Monday during a session to form a fact-finding committee to look into medicine shortages, noting that it will be headed by the head of parliament’s Health Committee and its members, according to state media. Parliamentary speaker Ali Abdul Aal had met with the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry to hear their concerns regarding their difficulty in procuring medical supplies. He claimed that there will be a tangible development in the next two days, the state-affiliated Al-Ahram reported.
Attending the parliamentary session was Abdul Aal, representatives from the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry, and members of various parliamentary committees including the health and industry committees.
Egypt has been struggling with a medicine shortage due to increased production and import costs. The issue has been further exacerbated by the flotation of the pound and the ongoing foreign currency shortage. Pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers have struggled to import many forms of medication and the raw materials required to produce local variants.
Online campaigns have circulated social media platforms, highlighting the suffering many people have been experiencing due to the shortages, calling on people to donate any surplus medication they may have to those in need.
The Medicine Manufacturing Chamber recently told Al-Ahram that production costs rose by 70% after the Egyptian pound’s devaluation, as the medicine sector imports 90% of the necessary components. Without immediate intervention from the government, 60% of medicine factories in Egypt could shut down.
.
