People struggle to buy medicines

Patna: Residents across the city faced inconvenience on Wednesday as medicine shops remained closed during a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD). People struggled to procure routine and emergency medicines from neighbourhood stores, though Jan Aushadhi Kendras and pharmacy outlets operating inside hospitals continued to function.

The Bihar chapter of the organisation supported the bandh, leading to the closure of both wholesale and retail medicine shops across Patna.

Govind Mitra Road, regarded as Bihar’s largest wholesale and retail medicine market, wore a deserted look with shutters remaining down throughout the day. Similar scenes were witnessed on Ashok Rajpath, which has a large concentration of medicine shops near Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), and along Nehru Path, home to the IGIMS and several private clinics.

Many residents said they were caught unaware by the shutdown and faced difficulty arranging medicines for family members.

Indrapuri resident Rohan Kumar said he had gone out to purchase hypertension medicine for his uncle but found all nearby medicine shops closed. He said he was unaware of the strike and would have stocked up on medicines a day earlier had he known about it.

Sana, a resident of Naya Tola, said she tried to buy a painkiller for her sister, who was suffering from a severe headache, but could not get the medicine as all nearby pharmacies were shut.

Mohammad Gauhar, a resident of Raja Bazar, said he had planned to undergo a tooth extraction on Wednesday but postponed the procedure after learning about the strike, fearing difficulty in purchasing medicines prescribed after the treatment.