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ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the federal cabinet, headed by Fin­ance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, has approved the prices of 52 life-saving drugs, prompting Health Minister Mustafa Kamal to say that patients would finally have access to cheaper and better-quality medicines.

“However, the approval is subject to the final approval of the federal cabinet,” Mr Kamal said while speaking to Dawn on Saturday.

The sub-committee, headed by Mr Aurangzeb, has five members, including the health minister.

Replying to a question, Mr Kamal said that there were two categories under which medicine prices could be increased. “The first category is hardship [under which prices are increased when production becomes unviable due to rising production costs], and the second category is only the fixation of prices for new molecules.