Relatives of patients admitted to different hospitals, had to experience a tough time in arranging the life saving drugs prescribed by the doctors here on Friday, following the strike of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).
Though the Government hospital authorities claimed that about 90 per cent required medicines is provided to the patients by the hospital administration, relatives of the patients could be seen enquiring about the availability of medicines in the open markets.
Since about 90 percent assistance in terms of medicines is provided by the hospital administration, therefore, there should not be any such problem, said Dr. Abhay Kumar, manager of the Haldwani Base Hospital, while talking to The Pioneer.
Keeping in view the strike the hospital administration is prepared to deal with the situation, he added.
But Daulta Arya, a native of Ramgarh, Nainital tells a different tale. My relative is admitted to a hospital here. But we are not aware about this strike. That is why now we are facing difficulty in purchasing some medicine. No medicine shop is found open even in remote areas.
Now we are totally dependent upon on the hospital authorities for medicines, he added.
Meanwhile, the members of the Nainital district chemist association have strongly opposed the Government’s decision to cut the profit margin of the chemists/ druggists engaged in wholesale and retail sectors of medicines.
Besides, they have also voiced against foreign direct investment (FDI) in the medical sector apart from demanding simplification of the norms that allow only pharmacists to sell medicines.
The matter of concerns is that there is an acute shortage of pharmacists particularly in four states including Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Uttarakhand, said Shekhar Pant, president of the Nainital district chemist association.
Therefore, keeping in view shortage of pharmacists, our demand is that the Government should allow qualified people with science background to sell the medicines. Educated people with science background can sell/ deal in medicines after providing them some training of this sector, Pant suggested.
But the Government has only hardened its stand. On the one hand it wants the people associated with medicine sector to be available 24 hours, on the other it says there should be two pharmacists so that one can be relieved after completing eight hours duty. That is why we have demanded simplification of all these norms, he maintained.
Besides, we strongly oppose FDI in the medical sector. It seems entry of the FDI in this important sector which is directly related to the people will only lead to increase in the prices of the live saving drugs in the country. The matter of fact is that in the name of better research and development, the foreign drug companies will only charge more for the medicines, Pant expressed concern.