Herbal Medicines Are the Need of the Hour, Says Health Minister Mustafa Kamal

Islamabad: Federal Health Minister Mir Mustafa Kamal has said that herbal medicines are becoming increasingly important and that new regulations for herbal products will be introduced by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) within the next few weeks.

Addressing a seminar on herbal and traditional medicines in Islamabad, the minister stated that Pakistan currently lacks a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for herbal products. He revealed that proposed legislation on herbal medicines has already been forwarded from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Law for further processing.

Mustafa Kamal emphasized that the conference was not intended to oppose Western medicine, noting that every branch of healthcare has its own significance. He remarked that conventional medicines may become less effective for the body over time, highlighting the need to explore alternative and complementary healthcare approaches.

The minister expressed concern over Pakistan’s healthcare challenges, stating that patients in the country take an average of eight days to recover from illnesses, compared to around three days in many other parts of the world. He added that the existing healthcare system often contributes to additional health complications.

He further noted that hospitals in Pakistan reach full capacity almost immediately after opening, reflecting the growing burden of disease. “Even if hospitals were established in every street, they would still struggle to meet the rising healthcare demand,” he said.

Highlighting the pharmaceutical sector’s contribution, Mustafa Kamal said that approximately 85 percent of medicines used in Pakistan are manufactured locally, although most of the raw materials required for production are imported from abroad.