The downing of shutters by medicine stores from Monday midnight following a 24-hour nationwide strike call by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists affected healthcare services in the State.

The country-wide agitation call was given to draw attention of the Central Government against the e-pharmacy regulations that the Central Government is deliberating upon in support of online sale of drugs.

In Odisha, the Utkal Chemists’ and Druggists’ Association (UCDA) extended support to the agitation. Nearly 17,000 medicine store owners across the State are participating in the agitation. However, shops functioned normally in Cuttack as the local association opted out of the strike saying that the last strike did not yield any results.

 Around 2,000 medicine stores in Cuttack remained open despite the strike call, much to the relief of the patients and their attendants.

“The e-portal being set up by the Centre is an autonomous body that will charge a separate registration fee from retailers of medicine and also demand purchase and sale entries. A fee of Rs 200 per prescription will also be charged from medicine retailers. This is unacceptable. After all, in micro interiors where doctors are not ready to work and State run health facilities fail, medicine stores provide healthcare to people,” said UCDA president P Satyanarayan Babu.

However, the State Government had directed the district authorities to stock adequate quantities of medicines, so that patients do not face any problems.