The first shipment of shortage drugs will arrive in Egypt within two days at most, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Khaled Megahid told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Friday. Megahid added that the shipment will include shortage drugs that the government has imported via the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Trading Company, as well as special blood derivatives and pharmaceutical oncology drugs. He said that the rest of the imported shortage drugs, numbering about 146 drugs in all, will reach the market over the coming period. Meanwhile, Emad has asked Finance Minister Amr al-Garhi to abolish the Value Added Tax (VAT) on imported materials used for manufacturing medicines. He pointed out that the finance minister has not yet responded to the letter, and that the health minister will introduce this communication to the prime minister at the upcoming meeting of the cabinet.

Source: Egypt Independent December 03, 2016 12:23 UTC