Nationwide Medicine Shop Shutdown Affects Healthcare Services Across Odisha

Chemists Protest Against Online Medicine Delivery

Medicine shops across India remained closed on Tuesday following a nationwide strike called by various private pharmacy associations to protest against online medicine delivery and heavy discount sales of medicines.

In Odisha, the bandh received support from the Utkal Chemists and Druggists Association, leading to the closure of thousands of medicine stores across the state.

The shutdown caused major inconvenience for patients and their families, especially those visiting government hospitals for treatment.

Patients Face Hardship at SCB Medical College

A chaotic situation was witnessed at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where patients struggled to get medicines due to the closure of nearby pharmacies.

Long queues were seen outside the Niramaya Centre as patients and attendants waited for medicines. However, many essential medicines prescribed by doctors were reportedly unavailable at the centre.

In several cases, patients were advised by staff members to purchase medicines from outside despite the statewide shutdown of medicine stores.

Healthcare Services Disrupted

Patients from various districts of Odisha and neighbouring states who had come to SCB Medical for treatment faced severe difficulties throughout the day.

Relatives of patients said that while some medicines were available, many prescribed drugs could not be found at the hospital pharmacy counters.

The situation highlighted concerns over inadequate medicine availability at government-run Niramaya Centres during emergency situations like the strike.

Similar scenes were also reported from the capital city Bhubaneswar, where patients faced problems arranging medicines due to the bandh.

Over 35,000 Medicine Shops Closed in Odisha

According to reports, the strike affected nearly 12.5 lakh medicine shops across India following the call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists.

In Odisha alone, more than 35,000 medicine shops remained closed, including nearly 3,000 shops in Cuttack.

Key Demands of the Associations

The protesting associations have placed three major demands before the central government:

• Ban on online sale of medicines
• Restriction on excessive discount sales of medicines
• Stopping home delivery of medicines that began during the COVID-19 period

The associations claimed that despite repeatedly submitting written requests to the government, no concrete action was taken, forcing them to observe the one-day shutdown.

Government Held Responsible for Public Inconvenience

The associations stated that they had informed the public about the bandh through various media platforms over the past 15 days to minimise inconvenience.

However, they added that if patients still faced problems in getting medicines during the strike, the government should be held responsible for failing to address their demands in time.

The bandh once again sparked debate over balancing digital healthcare services with the concerns of traditional medicine retailers across the country.