Rabat- The Parliamentary deputy for the Justice and Development Party (PJD) Mustafa Ebrahimi accused ministers of taking bribes from pharmaceutical lobbies to block any proposals to reduce medicine prices.
Ebrahimi announced this shocking news on Tuesday before the House of Representatives without naming the ministers accused.
According to Akhbar Al Yaoum, this announcement caused such a stir among parliamentarians that a group of parliamentary deputies demanded to open an investigation into Ebrahimi’s “dangerous statements”.
On the other hand, Minister of Health, Houssaine Louardi stated that Mustafa Ebrahimi’s statements don’t concern him. “Everyone should bear the responsibility for what he said,” Louardi explained.
Ebrahimi explained during a Social Affairs Committee meeting that “some pharmaceutical companies are encouraging doctors to advertise their products… These companies do the same with some ministers to maintain the medicines’ high prices,” reported Akhbar Al Yaoum.
Ebrahimi compared the high price of medicine in Morocco to some developed countries, such as France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, where medical care is available for all citizens. He called on the Minister of Health “not to bow to the pharmaceutical companies’ pressure and to move forward in order to reduce the price of medicine.”
During the same meeting, Louardi announced that “medicine prices are to be reduced by June 19th.” “The new prices will be published in the Official Journal as well as on the ministry’s official website in Arabic and French so that citizens will be informed, “ he added.
Louardi concluded: “these cuts will include 34% of the medicine sold in pharmacies, in particular the most-sold medicines.”
Edited by Jessica Rohan
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed