Medicine prices soar in Sudan capital
Patients in the Sudanese capital Khartoum complain of a dire shortage of medicines and soaring prices over the last few months.
A member of the Association of Private Pharmacies confirmed “a dramatic increase in the prices of medicines” to Radio Dabanga. “The prices of some medicines reached a 70 percent increase.”
The Pharmacists’ Union could not comment as their members “were absent when decisions were made about the price rises”.
Patients in the Sudanese capital Khartoum complain of a dire shortage of medicines and soaring prices over the last few months.
A member of the Association of Private Pharmacies confirmed “a dramatic increase in the prices of medicines” to Radio Dabanga. “The prices of some medicines reached a 70 percent increase.”
The Pharmacists’ Union could not comment as their members “were absent when decisions were made about the price rises”.
Members of the federal parliament reported the lack of a number of life-saving medicines and 160 other medicines and medical supplies.
Economist Siddig Kabello attributed the high prices to the liberalisation of the pharmaceutical market. He explained that most of the medicines are imported. “Traders now freely import medicines with hard currency bought at the black market, which is almost double the official rate.”
The black market dollar rate stands currently at about SDG11.5, while the official rate is a little over SDG6.
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