Eye medicines
Bangladesh is a poor country with a huge population. Hence many people do not get adequate food and medicine. People cannot afford costly treatment and medicines. A large number of people are suffering from various types of eye diseases. Eye treatment is very costly, because most of the medicines are imported from abroad. For treatment of "Glaucoma" doctors advise patients to use the medicines Alphagan and Lumigan for their lifetime, as this disease is generally not curable. It has been observed that the prices of the above medicines increased by about 200% by the importers, and retailers are accordingly charging high prices from the patients. This had caused great concern amongst Glaucoma patients in the country. It is feared that the prices will further go up soon.
Bangladesh also imports the medicines doctors generally prescribe for the treatment of other eye diseases, and these are costly in our country. Most of the people cannot afford to use these medicines regularly and thus suffer.
It is therefore suggested that our drug/medicine manufacturers obtain copyright/manufacturing permission from the foreign eye medicine manufacturers and produce all these eye medicines in the country. Once we start manufacturing these medicines, the cost will come down.
These medicines then can be exported to our neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Middle East countries also.
At present we have some reputable medicine manufacturing companies who are producing quality medicines. They should come forward and take necessary initiative regarding this matter. We expect that our health minister would give necessary assistance to the interested local companies for manufacturing these medicines for public interest.
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