People's Democracy

Punjab: FMRAI To Campaign  For Cheaper & Reliable Medicines

THE annual general body meeting of Medical Representatives based at Chandigarh expressed serious concern about increasing inaccessibility of essential medicines to the people of our country. Despite government�s assurances of ensuring availability of quality medicines, the pharmaceutical companies are flooding the market with sub-standard and harmful medicines. These companies were openly flouting government regulations on production, taxes, duties, price control, quality etc.

In this situation the recent general body meeting of FMRAI resolved to bring awareness among the people on these issues and as part of it would undertake a signature drive among lakhs of people. The same would be submitted to the government of India during the coming parliament session.

The demands on which this campaign will be carried out include:

1. Reduce prices of all essential medicines and place them under strict price control.

2. Revive all public sector medicine and vaccine producing units.

3. Withdraw excise duty from all essential medicines.

4. Purge all non-standard, harmful medicines in the market.

5. Enforce Drug and Cosmetics Act strictly.

6. Withdraw amendment bill on Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940

7. Develop ethical code of marketing of medicines.

The general body meeting also elected a new executive body.

Raghunath Singh, CITU Punjab unit general secretary in his address expressed concern over job losses due to the impact of the ongoing global financial crisis. He commended the role of FMRAI members in educating the people about medicine-related issues. Various fraternal trade unions� leaders also addressed and greeted the meeting.