Medical Shops Owners Call Off Strike in Bihar

Healthwire Bureau

New Delhi, January 23- After assurance from the Bihar government, the medical shops in the state on Thursday resumed normal business.

The strike was began on Wednesday. The government has assured that the concerns raised by the association of chemists and druggists will be squarely addressed.

According to a statement issued by the Bihar Chemists and Druggists Association, the decision to call off the strike was taken late Wednesday night after its delegation met state health minister Mangal Pandey.

The association, which has been livid over making mandatory the deputation of a pharmacist at every medical store, because of inadequate number of such professionals, was told by the minister that the provision was introduced “in accordance with a central law”.

“The health minister gave an assurance that he would meet the Union health minister to find a way out until the deficit of pharmacists was made up for.

He also said that at present there were two colleges in the state with approved pharmacy courses and a move was afoot to set up another 22,” the association said in the statement, signed by its president P K Singh and general secretary Amarendra Kumar Singh