ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday said that it was the fundamental duty of the state and society to provide quality treatment and essential drugs at affordable rates to the people. The president said this while chairing a meeting of the Monitoring Committee on Provision of Essential Drugs at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The president appreciated the Federal Ombudsman for devising a strategy to provide free medicines to all under-treatment patients in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Wafaqi Mohtasib Salman Faruqui, Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the SZABMU VC, Islamabad Mayor Ansar Aziz, senior officials, representatives of pharmaceutical companies and advisers from different Health Departments were also present on the occasion. The president noted with satisfaction that 2D bar coding mechanism had been devised to check spurious drugs being sold in the market which had also been approved by the Federal Cabinet. The president was informed that the Federal Medical College, housed in the Drug Regulatory Authority for the last five years, would be shifted to Alfarabi Centre and the laboratory would be used for WHO approved drug testing. The president appreciated the development in this regard and hoped that accreditation of drugs with WHO would enable the country to enhance its pharmaceutical exports and earn foreign exchange reserves. The president appreciated the Wafaqi Mohtasib’s study on ‘Availability of essential drugs of high standard, efficacy, safety, quality and affordable prices for all and check on spurious drugs’ and directed that relevant institutions should prepare recommendations for effectively implementing the report for providing lifesaving drugs at affordable prices to the people. The president commended Wafaqi Mohtasib for conducting studies/research of various government departments to further improve their performance and enforce standards of good administration. The president emphasised the significance of the institution of Wafaqi Mohtasib for redressing the public complaints adding that expeditious resolution of issues strengthens the bond between the state and public which quickens the pace of national development. President Mamnoon Hussain called for ensuring sustainability of provision of medicines to patients admitted at PIMS. He stressed the need to further expand these facilities, adding that necessary measures should be taken to ensure transparency and meritocracy. The president was informed that 100 percent availability of medicines for inpatients at PIMS would be ensured in three phases. The president stressed the need for addressing the issues faced by patients in PIMS and strict implementation of the report for provision of 100 percent medicines to deserving patients at the leading medical facility in the capital. The president praised the consultative role of Wafaqi Mohtasib for public welfare and hoped that it would continue to work in the same spirit in future for resolving the issues of the people. The president emphasised that addressing public issues was not only an official responsibility, but it should be discharged with religious zeal. Climate change: The Ministry of Climate Change will continue its support to UNICEF in improving conditions of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Pakistan, Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid said on Tuesday. He said this while talking to UNICEF Country Representative in Pakistan Angela Kearney. He said that WASH was a provincial matter and provinces should allocate a significant amount in their budget for the sector. The country representative Angela Kearney appreciated the Ministry of Climate Change in its support to establish a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cell at Ministry of Climate Change. She also offered services of UNICEF to Ministry of Climate Change in organising SACOSAN 7, which will be hosted by Pakistan in early 2018. Dr Saima from WASH cell at Ministry of Climate Change briefed the minister about the menstruation hygiene working group established with the help of Ministry of Climate Change and UNICEF. She further informed that Health Ministry had been accessed for support and Education Ministry was already very active. A photo album was also presented to Minister for Climate Change. The meeting was attended by Kitka Goyol, Wash chief at UNICEF, Additional Secretary Afzal Lateef, and Environment Director General Irfan Tariq and Zile Huma, public relations officer.