Singapore: Raising concerns related to the fate of people who cannot afford expensive branded medicines, India's parliamentary committee has made suggestions that would help boost generic drug production on a larger scale.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has suggested that pharma companies operating under public sector undertakings (PSU) should be revived. The committee advised the central government to infuse fresh life in pharma PSUs such as HAL and IDPL.

The committee in its report titled 'FDI in Pharmaceutical Sector' has said, "Pharma PSUs need to be revived, re-strengthened and made dynamic and healthy so that generic medicines and vaccines are produced in larger quantities and made available to the masses at reasonable prices."

The committee has also requested the government to initiate a probe to find out the reasons behind the meager performance of the PSUs. Further, it stressed that the resources available to the PSU pharma producers must be used to achieve self-sufficiency in health care, while averting ill effects of market dynamics and investment policies.

"In a situation when the private sector fails to step in and address the health needs of this country, the public sector would be credible system to cater to our growing health needs," the committee pointed out in its report.