India’s Chemists and Druggists’ strike
Dubela, Tanisha Das: All Indian Organization of Chemists and Druggists [AIOCD] called for a 24-hour nationwide strike on 20th May and it is going to continue till 21st May. More than 12 lakh chemist and druggist shops are closed across India. The main aim of the strike is to protest against the government for allowing online pharmacies and their regulations.
This situation has resulted in a huge impact. Patients are facing difficulties in accessing essential medications. This action is basically taken against e-pharmacies who are giving heavy discounts to customers, which is affecting the sales of chemist and druggist shops. During this strike period, emergency services are exempted but regular pharmacies have closed for the time being. Only BCDA-affiliated shops in West Bengal are shut. Many independent chemists stayed open.
12 states including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand withdrew support and they didn’t participate. Even though the strike took place in a few places, medical stores in hospitals and nursing homes operated normally.
