Medical representatives on Countrywide Strike from 3 Feb

Kurnool: Demanding regulations on investments by multi national companies in pharmacuetical industry and online drugs selling, the Medical representatives decided to go on countrywide strike by 3 February, 2017.

A.P. Medical and Sales Representatives Union State secretary Koteswara Rao, State executive member A. Venkatesh, district president B. Peddaswamy and secretary Shaik Shavali released the posters on strike and announced the countrywide strike by February, 3, 2017.

The motive of this strike is to not just put control the investment limit in pharmaceutical industry and online sale of drug, the medical representatives has also demanded the control on prices of medicines and medical equipment selling cost as there is a wide difference in selling cost and manufacturing cost.

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While announcing the countrywide strike, they also demanded to withdrawal of excise duty, commercial tax and goods and services tax (GST) on medicines and medical equipment, which further escalated their prices.

They presented few of examples of excessive selling cost of medicines and how much consumer has to pay for such cheap medicines. They said six tablets of an anti-biotic Amoxyclav were being sold at Rs. 144 as against the production cost of Rs. 26.60 and 15 tablets of Amlodipine 5 mg, used for controlling blood pressure, were being sold at Rs. 43.90 as against the production cost of Rs. 3.18. Excise duty was fetching higher revenue to the government and pharma companies were reaping profits at the expense of patients.

Speaking with Hindu, they explained how investment by multi national companies in pharmaceutical sector restrict our domestic companies to flourish. The multinational companies flooding Indian markets with expensive patented medicines.

To curb the entries and to safeguard the Indian drug market from such foreign companies, government has to take necessary steps. The union leader said, Pharmaceutical companies violating the statutory guidelines must be brought to book.