Daily Times

KARACHI: Lack of interest to set up plants for manufacturing health and medical machinery since the inception of the country has cost the national exchequer with millions of foreign exchange on imports annually.

We do not give attention to the prime sectors of education and health as they only pay back heavily after investment while other economic sectors only need funds to run and start earning money right after becoming operational.

Over the time, no one in the private sector or any concerned government department dared to venture into the manufacturing field, even though we have abundance of human resources and manpower. We need scanning, ultrasound and X-ray machines, along with operation theatre medical aid and fitness equipment.

Importers have said that Pakistan imports ultrasound and X-ray machines from USA, UK, Japan and Korea. These imports keep on increasing annually by around 15 percent, an estimated Rs 6,525 million.

The import of OT equipment, medical aid and fitness equipment from China and Korea has also registered an increase of 35 percent. However, the current volume of imports has not increased much and stands around 12-15 percent due to the high exchange rate of euro, pound sterling and US dollar.

The consumption of Japanese, Chinese and Korean X-ray and ultrasound machines has also gone up by 25 percent, mainly in Sindh and Balochistan and Punjab due to the growing number of clinics, hospitals and medical centres in the private sector.

An importer, Riaz Hussain of Advance Medical System, said that the demand of ultrasound X-ray machines from China and Korea had gone up by 30 percent due to lower rates. He said that a 10 to 15 percent import duty has been levied on these machines, adding that users preferred Chinese and Korean products as these were cheaper and were sold with guarantees as compared to used machines made in the USA and UK.

Hussain said that travellers from Pakistan also brought these machines in their personal baggage, which was a challenge for the private sector importers. The prices of these machines vary from Rs 550,000 to Rs 15 million. He said that his company imported these machines from China, Korea and Japan to meet the needs of private sector hospitals, clinics and medical centres.

Cardiac and parameter machines were also imported from these countries and the demand of these machines had grown in recent months, he added. Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association Chairman Dr Kaiser Waheed said that manufacturing of such machines needed dedication and expertise and required the use of delicate technology. He said, “There is an embargo as the spare parts of these machines parts can be used in other way.”

Waheed said that refurbished European and German machines were also used in thousands of private and public sector hospitals and leading clinics across the country.

He further said that due to high exchange rates, the importers preferred to import Chinese, Japanese and Korean made products as compared to machines from USA and UK. He said that the demand of walkers, wheelchairs, tricycles, crutches, air rings, air mattresses and beds had gone up by 35 percent. The private sector welfare agencies have geared up their free distribution of medical and fitness equipment to the needy in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. He added that the price of locally made crutches and simple medical equipment was stable but users preferred to use imported products.