By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Taking strong cognizance of the mushrooming of foreign drug companies, the medical representatives of the state have urged the Centre to do away with its anti-poor policy and bring essential drugs under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO).
It may be mentioned that DPCO is a government order under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to control the prices of drugs.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, District Secretary of Centre of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Union Joydeep Nath said that the number of drugs listed as essential life saving drugs under DPCO has been reduced to 74 while there were 347 drugs listed in the 1970s. In support of their demands, the medical representatives across the country will be holding a day’s strike on August 17 across India demanding better work facilities from drug companies and also price control of essential life-saving medicines from the central government.
According to MRs, the 76 essential drugs as identified by the Union health ministry must be brought under the DPCO.
“Life-saving drugs for chronic ailment such as Cancer, Diabetes, Heart disease and others are not under DPCO and some of the drugs cost over Rs. 20,000 and the MNCs are exploiting the peopel,” Nath added. Citing the example of Cancer drugs, he said, a drug which costs Rs. 15000 in the pharmacy actually costs Rs. 9000 or lesser. “The price relief must go to the patients and families and not to the companies and retailers,” he stated.
The medical representatives have also demanded that the Centre revives Indian Public Sector Units such as Indian Drugs and Pharmaceutical Limited (IDPL,) Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL), Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Limited and others and not let the “exploiting” MNCs exploit vulnerable Indians.
“The MNCs want to monopolise the Indian drug industry by wiping out the Indian PSUs. The drug companies are now seeing a turnover of Rs. 75000 crore in the Indian drug market, which is projected to touch $ 70 billion in the near future,” the union said