Bangladesh, Oct. 7 -- The government has decided to formulate a National Emergency Medicine Supply Contingency Plan and maintain minimum stocks of key medicines to ensure uninterrupted supply during emergencies and crises.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Drug Advisory Council held at the health ministry last month, with Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain in the chair, sources said.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will prepare the contingency framework, including provisions for maintaining minimum buffer stocks of essential medicines, and place the draft plan before the council at its next meeting.

The move comes amid concerns over vulnerabilities in the country's pharmace...