The Federal National Council, at its scheduled session, today, remotely, chaired by the Speaker of the Council, Saqr Ghobash, discusses a general issue regarding the services provided by the two telecommunications companies, as the members of the Council touch on related files with government representatives, most notably inquiring about the fate of calls and programs « Video Cole, which the two telecom companies made available to dealers for free, during the period of the state’s precautionary measures to curb the outbreak of the Corona virus, especially the “Zoom” and “Microsoft Times” programs, to see if it will continue as free services or whether the two companies will again ban them again after The epidemic has passed.
While council members ask five parliamentary questions to the government during the session, the most prominent of which is a question for the council member, Dr. Hawa Al-Mansoori, to the Minister of Health and Community Protection, Abdul Rahman Al-Mansoori, during which she proposes the possibility of reducing drug prices by expanding the import of similar drugs.
Al-Mansouri told «Emirates Today» that she had received complaints from patients from citizens and residents of the country, especially those who are treated abroad, about the rise in the prices of medicines, cosmetics and medical devices inside the country, compared to the United States of America and many European countries, despite the allocation of a very large budget for the health sector in the country amounted to, During the current year alone, in the field of imported pharmaceutical products, 17.3 billion dirhams.
She said: «From my experiences in the health field, the most prominent reasons for the high prices of medicines lie in the direct trend to import what is known as (brand drugs) from companies that invent medicinal materials and formulations directly, which is a high cost, especially since the state depends on importing medicines on Purchase nearly 80% of (Brand) drugs compared to 20% of analogues, which are drugs produced by international and regional companies with the same formulations and active substances for (Brand) drugs, but at prices much lower than that.
She added: “It is known in the pharmaceutical industry worldwide that the original manufacturer of a particular type of medicine has the right to exclusively use this drug in terms of production and sales for a certain period, after which the rest of the pharmaceutical companies are allowed to use the same drug formulations, properties and efficacy to produce an identical drug but in the name of Different commercial.
Al-Mansouri pointed out that America and most of the European countries are now devoting the production of international pharmaceutical companies from the original drugs for export, in exchange for the use of similar medicines that are less expensive, as statistics indicate that these countries depend on similar medicines by 80%, compared to 20% of the original medicines, which is the opposite of the proportions Registered in the UAE.
She attributed the high rates of import of original medicines in the country to the keenness of the federal and local governments to provide the best for the population, citizens and residents, especially with regard to the drug, but she went on to say: «Today the UAE has reached advanced scientific stages that enable it to judge the quality of medicines and examine their vehicles and effective materials And its side effects, which facilitate the possibility of resorting to importing analogous drugs according to strict laboratory rules, controls and tests, which achieve great economic benefits for the state and patients, and ensures the sustainability of the pharmaceutical and health sector in the country », asking:“ As long as the state can buy drugs that achieve benefit and efficacy themselves at cheaper prices, What is the point of going for importing original medicines? ”
She added: «There are many international studies that have proven that most similar drugs achieve the same results and effect as the original medicines, and based on these studies, Ministerial Decree No. 130 of 2019 was issued regarding reducing and restricting 410 similar medicinal brands to cardiovascular diseases, which means the direction of the government To reduce the prices of medicines through the use of similar drugs, which must include all medicines ».
While the second deputy head of the Federal National Council, Naima Abdullah Al-Sharhan, asked a question for the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and head of the Board of Directors of the Federal Youth Foundation, Shama Bint Suhail Al Mazroui, requesting the formulation of a new plan to activate the role of youth centers at the state level, and the establishment of more of these centers in the regions Faraway, especially in the northern Emirates.
She explained that the areas far from the city centers suffer from a lack of youth centers, despite their societal importance in being a state-sponsored outlet to entertain their young children, connect them with their society and help them exercise their hobbies and develop their skills, stressing that the absence of such centers led to young people resorting to the practice of dangerous habits Such as supplying cars, Altvhit and random race in the main streets, which in many cases lead to exposure to life-threatening accidents.
Al Sharhan told «Emirates Today»: “Despite the efforts of the leadership and the government of the country to absorb its sons and daughters, and to invest their energies and invest their skills in serving the community, the number of youth centers does not meet the aspirations of a country that youth represent 45% of its population, especially since the absence of the role of youth centers In the remote areas, it leads our children to move towards the virtual world and social media platforms in an exaggerated manner, which has a lot of drawbacks. ”
Al-Sharhan added: “In the Emirates of Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah, for example, I have received many complaints since the election campaign, from hundreds of young men and girls regarding the existence of only two youth centers at the emirate’s level, and they are separating large distances from remote areas, which does not encourage young people to visit them, especially girls who They need a lot to develop their skills, vent their energies, and find a way to use this energy to serve their community. ”
The two companies' initiatives
During the session today, the Federal National Council is scheduled to review the final report of the Technical, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Committee on the topic of services provided by the two telecommunications companies, in addition to recommendations related to the initiatives taken by the two telecommunications companies in the country, to deal with the challenges facing this vital sector In light of the precautionary measures applied by the state to limit the spread of "Covid-19".
4 proposals to increase the number of youth centers
The second deputy of the President of the Federal National Council, Naima Abdullah Al-Sharhan, said that she will present four proposals to the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, that will help the state in solving the problem of the small number of youth centers, the first of which is to increase the number of youth centers, especially in areas of high need, to provide easy access to them and Effortlessly, especially for girls, while the second proposal included working to increase the number of youth centers, and the use of playgrounds and mobile centers known as "air domes", which can be rented for certain periods instead of bearing the cost of manufacturing them, to be stationed in remote areas according to a schedule that allows all regions to benefit Of which. According to Al-Sharhan, the third proposal includes an expanded study by the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs on youth attitudes, and the most prominent hobbies and skills they possess, in preparation for the introduction of programs and events aimed at optimizing the potential and skills of youth for the state and for them. The fourth proposal included working on developing youth centers located in the country, especially in the northern emirates, in line with the aspirations and needs of youth in those regions, while the last proposal stressed the need to create all youth centers, programs, events, social and entertainment activities and electronic competitions "remotely", especially in The current time regarding limited exit from homes, in view of the precautionary measures taken by the state in the face of the emerging Corona virus, pointing to the importance of using technology in investing the energies of young people during the pandemic period.
The state is keen to provide the best for citizens and residents, especially in relation to the drug.