Apart from OPD patients, the plight of IPD patients has also increased manifold due to the ongoing strike called on by the agitated pharmacists in Uttarakhand. The distribution of life saving drugs and syrups did not take place on third consecutive day on Saturday with the association members have also threatened to intensify their agitation from Monday onwards.
All those patients who visited Government district hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres, first referral units were among the major sufferers due to the ongoing strike called by the agitated pharmacists. They have also threatened to intensify their agitation, if their demands are not met by the department in the given time frame.
The work of distribution of life saving drugs was reported to be completely hampered in the Government run hospitals and the seriously ill patients are forced to purchase life saving drugs from the private chemists shops running adjoining the Government hospitals. After raising the anti department slogans, the agitated pharmacists lamented that the memorandum highlighting their demands was submitted many times to public representatives and top bureaucrats but their year long demands are still pending.
The agitated pharmacists have been staging protest under the banner of Uttarakhand Diploma Pharmacist Association, (UDPA) and also threatened to boycott the emergency and VIP duties from the next onwards, if their demands are not met by the State Government in the given time frame.
After expressing concern over the callous approach of the State Government for not fulfilling the year long pending demands of Association, former UDPA State president, BS Payal said that the bilateral talk with the State Health Minister ended without reaching to any fruitful conclusion and the agitated pharmacists were forced to hit the roads in support of their year long pending demands.
“Pay anomaly, risk allowances, appointment of pharmacists, issue of seniority list, service rule, timely promotion etc, filling the vacant posts, etc. are among the pending demands of Association,” he said, adding that memorandum highlighting the association demands was submitted many times to top bureaucrats and public representatives but the Government is yet to take effective steps to fulfill the year long pending demands of association.
Payal said that the pharmacists have been providing the immediate medical care to those patients who are living in the remote areas of the state in the absence of Government medical officers and the State Government is not taking effective measures for redressing the grievances of agitated pharmacists.