TURA, June 22: Unscrupulous dealers and medicine store owners have been taking advantage of the COVID pandemic to rip off unsuspecting customers in Garo Hills by overcharging several times over for the cost of some items that are crucial for patients suffering from breathing difficulties.
It has been found that ever since the second wave of the pandemic hit the country and the region, people have been rushing to medical stores and drug distributors to procure nasal vaporisers to ease their breathing difficulties.
Taking advantage of the situation, a handful of traders running drug stores have been jacking up the price of these immensely low-priced vaporisers to make a fast buck at the cost of patients and their families.
A normal vaporiser machine that costs Rs 400-500 in actual price, something that can be procured online for as little as Rs 189 to Rs 225, is going for nothing short of one thousand rupees.
In the face of the lockdown which led to some online companies halting the dispatch of items, unscrupulous dealers have taken the opportunity to put in their very own rates citing shortage of products.
This has been taking place not just in Tura but across many towns in Garo Hills, including Williamnagar and Baghmara too.
The common answer to overpricing put out by these dealers is that prices are going up due to the lockdown — something which is not true given that the government has permitted the movement of all commercial goods carrying trucks to ply unhindered between Garo Hills and Assam.
“I had visited a pharmacy near Tura Members Hostel to purchase the most commonly sought Dr Ultra Pro vaporizer for a friend who was battling the COVID infection and having breathing difficulty. To my utter shock, I found that the price which used to be Rs 499 MRP was being sold for Rs 999. They had even put up a price tag of Rs 999 over the original box price and refused to remove it,” an infuriated Freddie Mercury Sangma told The Shillong Times.
“These dealers are aware that there is a huge demand for nasal vaporisers due to the second wave of infections and they are taking advantage. How can the poor afford it?” questioned Sangma.
A similar situation is taking place for items that are seldom required over the counter in other towns also.
“Unless you have a good relationship with the pharmacy people you will either not get the item or it will be overcharged,” says an elderly man from Williamnagar town who regularly needs to visit the pharmacy for his monthly quota of life-saving drugs.
With such cases being brought to light, the role of the drug inspector is being questioned as to why inspections are not conducted to check against overpricing.
