Stringent steps to ensure availability of essential medicines.

LAHORE -- Punjab Minister for Industries Aslam Iqbal and Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik on Saturday presided over a meeting in connection with launching a crackdown on those involved in blackmarketing and hoarding of essential medicines.

Lahore Commissioner Saif Anjum, Capital City Police Officer Zulfiqar Hameed and other officers concerned attended the meeting, while Inspector-General of Punjab Police (IGP) Shoaib Dastgir, divisional commissioners and regional police officers (RPOs) participated through video link.

The meeting decided to take stringent measures to ensure availability of essential drugs in the market at reasonable prices.

Aslam Iqbal said steps were being taken to provide the best medical facilities to the coronavirus patients. He said all public and private hospitals would be bound to implement the decision of the Punjab Healthcare Commission to freeze the charges for ventilators at the rates of February 2020.

It was decided that in view of the increasing cases of...