Federal Health Minister says users will be able to scan medicines to check authenticity, expiry dates, official prices and manufacturers; Dewan Yousuf Farooqui welcomes the initiative
KARACHI (Report by Shahid Ghazali): Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has announced measures to improve public access to healthcare and help protect patients from counterfeit medicines.
He said the Ministry of Health had developed a dedicated health application that would allow users to scan medicines and check their expiry dates, official prices, manufacturers and authenticity. The initiative aims to help consumers identify counterfeit products and make more informed decisions about medicines.
Mustafa Kamal shared these details while speaking at a dinner hosted in his honour by Dewan Yousuf Farooqui, Chairman of Dewan Yousuf Motors.
The federal minister said the application would help consumers check whether medicines were genuine or counterfeit. It is also intended to support efforts to prevent the circulation of substandard pharmaceutical products.
He added that the app would help authorities take timely action against companies or individuals involved in malpractice, substandard practices or the supply of counterfeit medicines.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to improve healthcare services and strengthen safeguards for patients. However, details about the app’s public launch and availability were not provided in the announcement.
Dewan Yousuf Farooqui appreciated the measures being taken to improve healthcare facilities and protect the public from counterfeit medicines.
He said efforts to ensure access to safe and authentic pharmaceutical products were important for public welfare. He also commended the minister’s work in the health sector.
The two sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest during the dinner.
The gathering was attended by Anis Ahmed Qaimkhani, Shamshad Siddiqui, Jam Qaim Ali, Jam Farooq, Shoaib Feroz, Fazal Karim Dadabhai, Sohail Wajahat, Mohsin Feroz and Rafiq Memon, among other distinguished guests.
Dewan Yousuf Farooqui thanked Federal Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and all the guests for accepting his invitation and attending the dinner.
The proposed health app is intended to give consumers an additional way to verify medicine details and help authorities address the sale of counterfeit and substandard products.
