QUETTA: Merck Pharmaceutical Company has no intention to withdraw from Pakistan. This was stated by Dr Karl Ludwig Kley Chairman Executive Board Merck, Germany at a Press conference here Wednesday.
Managing Director Merck Abdul Baqy Khan and other officers were also present.
Dr Kley said he has come to Pakistan after 20 years. He had visited Karachi and Lahore. It is his first visit to Quetta.
He said Merck Quetta factory was working with high degree of efficiency and knowhow despite present difficult situation. He was very much impressed of the work there. This is international standard factory having export market in Asia and Africa including South Africa. He said new offices would be opened in African countries next year.
He said company was planning to introduce two new medicines next year. Our focus would be on quality, he added. One would be for lung cancer. These products would not be available in Pakistan but are for Europe.
About spurious drugs he said he said it is quite difficult work. Unfortunately there are companies which were preparing such drugs. We continue to review market regularly.
He said law and order situation in Pakistan is not quite good. Government should improve it as priority number one. In some countries it so but in Pakistan it is a serious problem. Spurious drugs are prepared in Punjab and Khyber Pashtoonkhwa which are sold in the market. We involve police and investigators who go to market and carried out raids. FIR are registered and accused are jailed. Our job is not to take action but it is responsibility of State and rug authorities.
Hopefully this problem would be resolved soon. We have law and regulations and still it is being done. It these laws are work properly it would come good.
Replying to a question about manufacture of some spurious drugs and their sale at some specific shops and doctors, he said big companies are not involved in it.
He said have plan to provide suit case size mini laboratory to doctors in rural areas to help treat masses there.
Replying to another question he said after Civil hospital Quetta where Merck built casualty ward, we also completely
renovated police lien hospital. We also laid fresh water distribution lines. Dispensary of the hospital was in bad state.
We also made it modern for police officers and jawans and their families.
Now we intend to work in education sector. He said first and second year of study was underway at military medical College in Quetta Cantt. They have sought our help for third year. It is very encouraging that 100 percent merit is followed at the college. Here will be top talent bringing harmony in the society he added.
He said we have donated Rupees 600 million medicines to hospitals. We do give medicines in other countries but we are not NGO.
He said we organized free medical camps in Pakistan and Balochistan also and arranged doctors and paramedics there. Even we also hired medical consultants for the people. Now after several years activity, our staff works promptly during emergencies without any prior approval.