Online Desk: Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen today said the country’s people would get necessary medical devices easily if those could be produced locally.

“We produce different types of medicines here, but no medical devices are produced here. We need heart stents for heart operations to set rings and tissue for plastic surgery. Costs of these items are very high as we need to import these from abroad. If we could produce these locally, people would have been able to get these very easily,” he said.

The health minister said these while addressing inaugural function of ‘15th Asia Pharma Expo and Asia Lab Expo 2024’ at Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Purbachal, on the outskirts of the capital.

Jointly organized by GPE Expo (Pvt) Ltd and Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries (BAPI), the three-day expo will continue till March 2.

Prof Sen also assured of all necessary help from the government for producing medical devices locally.

Urging BAPI to lower the prices of medicines, the health minister said people would be benefitted if prices of medicines of diabetes and heart ailments could be brought down.

Presided over by BAPI president Abdul Muktadir, Youth and Sports Minister Nazmul Hasan, MP, attended the function as guest of honour. Export Development Bureau Vice Chairman AHM Ahsan and Director General of the Drug Administration Department Major General Mohammad Yusuf also attended the function, among others.

A total of 751 pharmaceuticals companies from 36 countries are showcasing their products and services at the expo, which would also being attended by experts from home and abroad.