The health system in Pakistan is facing a tough challenge with a significant number of essential and lifesaving drugs remaining missing from the markets across the country.

These medicines remain missing from both wholesale markets and retail outlets.

Estimates suggest that more than 50% of drugs on the World Health Organisation's (WHO) essential medicines list are either unavailable or extremely scarce. Key missing drugs include Metronidazole, Entamizole, Quinine bi Sulphate, Chloroquine, Tegral, Humulin Injection, Vitamin K Injection, narcotic analgesics, Thyroxine, Codeine-based cough syrups, Hydrocortisone injections, anti-tuberculosis preparations, Novomix insulin, and Heparin injections, reported The Express Tribune.

Various stakeholders have urged the government to take an immediate steps for the sake of public.

"Devaluation of the rupee, inflation, wage increases, and high electricity and gas tariffs have caused unprecedented rises in input costs," Mian Khalid Misbahur Rehman, Central Chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), told The Express Tribune. "Unlike other products, the price of essential drugs remain unchanged, resulting in little to no profit margin for many medicines. In some cases, input costs exceed the retail price."