CAIRO - The Ministry of Health and Population has criticised an article in a local newspaper concerning the disappearance of 500 different medicines from the shelves of Egypt's pharmacies; for 90 of them, there aren't alternatives. According to the Minister, the rumours that the crisis has been created by the counter-revolutionaries, are nonsense. He is going to take legal procedures against the newspaper. Dr Ayman el-Khatib, Assistant Minister for Pharmaceutical Affairs, says that, though Egypt is facing a financial crisis, the Ministry wants to provide safe medicines for citizens. He has praised the pharmaceutical companies for co-operating with the Ministry to ensure the local market is kept supplied with medicines. Meanwhile, a special entity is going to be set up to manage the pharmaceutical crisis, so as to ensure the constant supply of vital medicines, such as penicillin. The Egyptian Company for Drug Trading, responsible of distributing drugs to pharmacies, has already provided them with the penicillin they need, with a supervisory committee having inspected 50 pharmacies in Cairo and Giza. The Ministry has increased the prices of some pharmaceuticals produced by certain companies, whether locally or imported, while taking into consideration the social and economic conditions of Egyptians. In addition, there isn't an insulin crisis, with local pharmacies being kept supplied with their monthly quotas of this hormone. Subsided baby milk is also available in pharmacies and maternity and childhood centres, according to Dr el-Khatib. The Ministry has appealed to the media to be accurate in its publishing of news, especially news concerning the health sector, so citizens don't panic.
