Medical stores continued shutter-down strike on Monday in protest against the Punjab Drug Bill (Amended), 2017. The Joint Action Committee Pharma Sector, Punjab Chemists Council Lahore and Wholesale Chemist and Druggist Association had given the call for the strike.
The protestors set up camps at Raja Bazaar. The patients and their attendants in three main hospitals and other parts of the city had to face hardships due to closure of medical stores. Benazir Bhutto Hospital, District Headquarters Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Combined Military Hospital and Military Hospital had to face hardships in getting medicines.
An office-bearer of the association said that Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has not been holding a meeting with the representatives of chemist associations despite giving assurance for appointment for several months. The representatives of drug and chemist associations held talks with provincial ministers including Rana Sana Ullah, Imran Nazir, Khawaja Salman Rafique and Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman who had also promised for assistance in arranging a meeting between the representatives of drug association and Shahbaz Sharif to sort out the matter but to no avail.
None of ministers was found to be serious in answering to the questions of representatives of drug association to sort out problems being faced by the chemists, druggists and pharmaceutical manufacturers, according to the representatives of association. The representatives of association declared that they will continue their protest against cancellation of drug sales licenses, ban on issuance of new drug sales licenses, imposition of Schedule-G over medical stores, wholesale dealers and distributors, and abolition of self and dispenser drug sales licenses under the "Punjab Drug Bill (Amended), 2017."