Scarcity of life-saving drugs and other medicines has hit Assam due to lockdown

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Scarcity of many life-saving drugs and other medicines has hit Assam due to the alleged unplanned enforcement of the 14-day lockdown in the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district from June 29.

An office bearer of the Sadou Asom Chemist and Druggist Sanstha said that even though the lockdown guidelines within the jurisdiction of Kamrup (M) district have allowed retail medicines stores or pharmacies to remain open, it remain silent on the status of functioning of wholesaler or distributors of medicines. As a result, the medicines wholesalers in the city are keeping their shutters close causing scarcity of medicines in the retail stores. Majority of the city-based wholesalers supply medicines to different parts of Assam and North East, he added.

"Now many retail medicine stores or pharmacists have not been able to sell life-saving drugs and many other medicines to patients. There is an acute scarcity of medicines associated with ailments such as diabetic, high blood pressure, cardiac distress and kidney. Since Vitamin C tablets and syrups are on high demand now as they strengthen the immune system to fight against COVID-19, availability of such drug is also not adequate in the market," the office bearer said.

The problem of scarcity of medicines has aggravated soon after the lockdown was enforced in Kamrup (M) district for another reason. "Majority of medicines wholesalers stores are situated in Pan Bazar, Lakhtokia and Fancy Bazar areas. These stores were remaining closed even before the lockdown as the Kamrup (M) district administration declared Pan Bazar, Lakhtokia and Fancy Bazar areas as containment zones after detection of COVID positive cases there. We have not been able to pick up any stock of medicines from wholesalers for the last 20 days," an owner of a pharmacy in Bhangagarh said.

Hasan Ali, a cardiac patient said "I take Ecosprin AV 75 tablet daily after my dinner. Doctors have strictly asked not to miss the tablet as it contains Aspirin and it is an antiplatelet medicine used to prevent the formation of blood clots within the body. But I have not found the tablet in my nearby pharmacies for the last one week. My stock will finish by next Sunday. I am worried now and asked my doctor to prescribe an alternative medicine."

Demanding immediate opening of the wholesalers and distributors of medicines, the Kamrup Metropolitan branch of Sadou Asom Chemist and Druggist Sanstha has already submitted a memorandum to State Government. If the wholesalers do not open their shutters within a day or two, patients suffering from life- threatening diseases in Assam as well as other parts of NE will face an acute shortage of medicines.

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