The agitation called on by the pharmacists continued on Thursday and caused huge inconvenience to all those patients who visited Government run hospitals. However, a delegation of the pharmacists had meeting with the State Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi, which lasted nearly for half an hour in the evening.
The association office bearers continued to have discussion whether they should continue with the agitation or not till late in the evening. The agitated pharmacists under the banner of Uttarakhand Diploma Pharmacists Association continued their statewide agitation on Thursday also and those patients who were diagnosed by the medical officers in the early hours of OPD (Out Patients Department) were forced to wait till 11 pm.
The long serpent queue of patients were easily noticeable at medicine distribution centre when the agitated pharmacists resume their work. Among the pending demands of association were pay anomaly, risk allowances, appointment of pharmacists, issue of seniority list, service rule, timely promotion etc.
After expressing resentment over the callous approach of the state government for not fulfilling the year long pending demands of association, BS Payal, former State President, Uttarakhand Diploma Pharmacist Association (UDPA) said that memorandum highlighting our demands was submitted many times to officials but steps are still awaited by the state government to fulfill their year long pending demands.