Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Oct 9: The Assam Drug Dealers' Association (ADDA) is going to stage a 24-hour bandh of all the pharmacies of the state from October 13 midnight to October 14 midnight supporting the All India Organization of Chemist and Druggist (AIOCD) protest against online marketing of medicine.
ADDA president Pramod Mour said in a press conference in Guwahati Press Club today: "The Central Government is trying to close the business of 8 lakh medicine vendors of the country through this new scheme of online business of medicine. It will also affect the 30,000 retail and wholesale pharmacies of the state and create an available market of illegal drugs among the youth of the state. The availability of any kind of drug in internet will also create problems of duplicate medicine, and will affect the pharmacies. The Tamildu and Kartaka state governments also protested the online availability of drug. We, therefore, protest this step of the Central Government and are going to stage bandh against it." Mour also said: "During the bandh, four-five pharmacies will be open in every district and in Guwahati, four pharmacies of GMCH and two of MMC Hospital will be open for emergency service."