Patients suffer for want of medicines after VAT

HYDERABAD: Calls from patients as far as West Godavari and Kurnool have started pouring in at the emergency cell set up by AP Chemists and Druggists Association (APCDA) at Abids, for want of medicines.
Following the indefinite strike call by AP Chemists & Druggists Association in protest against the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime, all the medical shops remained closed on the third day.As many as 950 calls were received from morning from the city and various districts of the state at the emergency cell for want of medicines.
Patients suffering from diabetes, blood pressure and hypertension normally purchase medicines for 15 to 30 days. But, some of them whose purchased stocks have expired need to buy again and they suffer. "I am suffering from blood pressure and whatever medicines I bought was over two days back and I am finding it tough to go in search of a medical shop within a hospital," said K Sireesha, a housewife.
About 70 persons were given away medicines on Sunday at the emergency cell at Abids, many other patients who had called were asked to contact the nearest government or private hospital which has a pharmacy inside the premises. Though all the medical and pharmaceutical shops remained closed, the medical shops within the hospital premises were allowed to continue, said N S Sree Ramulu, general secretary of the APCDA.
With the tax exemption given for shops upto a turnover of Rs 5 lakh, those medical shops having a turnover of less than Rs 5 lakh will sell the medicine at a lesser price. The traders with turnover between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 40 lakh called the turnover tax (TOD) dealers will charge one per cent tax on drugs and the VAT dealer paying value added tax will charge the drugs at four per cent tax. This three slab system of taxing of drugs will affect the consumer as it will lead to the confusion. "The customer will find the same drug at two different prices," APCDA president Dr Ghisulal Jain said.
"If the VAT tax is charged at a single point at 4 per cent on the lines in West Bengal, all the confusion could be done away with," he said. All 5,000 medical shops in the city have downed their shutters in protest against such an unequal system of drug pricing at different points, he said.