Pakistan Chemists & Druggists Association (PCDA) has appealed the federal government for removal of hurdles in the supplies of healthcare and pharmaceuticals goods during the lockdown.
In a letter sent to Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Chief Ministers of four provinces, PCDA informed that it has received a number of complaints from its members including chemists, online pharmacies, distributors, importers and manufacturers throughout the country regarding the severe hurdles in supplying of healthcare & pharmaceutical goods.
According to Khalid Saeed Chairman PCDA, in cities, local distributors are facing huge difficulties as law enforcement agencies are not allowing movement of pharmaceutical goods through courier companies. While, importers and manufacturers are also facing difficulties on inter-provincial level due to the lack of transport services and even courier service providers could not perform well because of the severe un-official restrictions from the lockdown implementation authorities.
This situation of unnecessary restrictions would affect the supplies of healthcare and pharmaceutical supplies badly, resulting in the severe shortages of the health related products, he added.
"Despite the instructions of all the Federal and Provincial Governments, our suppliers could not perform well only because of the lockdown implementation authorities. Our companies and supplying workers have proper documents but the law enforcement agencies are not allowing transportation of healthcare & pharmaceutical goods despite presentation of identity of suppliers of healthcare and pharmaceutical goods," he said.
Especially, supplier workers are facing severe difficulties during the travel from their home to company and from company to home, when they have not any goods with them, he added.
He has requested the federal and provincial governments for prompt actions for smooth supplies of healthcare goods and medicines within the city and throughout the country and for permission to transporters and courier services to collect and deliver the healthcare and pharmaceutical goods.