Chandigarh: The Punjab Chemists Association has announced a statewide protest against both the Centre and the Punjab government, with chemists set to observe demonstrations from May 15 to May 20.
As part of the protest, medicine shop owners across the state will wear black bands on their shirts to register their opposition. The association has also called for a complete shutdown of medical stores across Punjab on May 20 as a mark of protest.
Association president Surinder Duggal said the body has raised several demands before the central government, including an immediate ban on online sale of medicines, strict action against counterfeit drugs, and curbs on the alleged dominance of large corporate players in the pharmaceutical sector.
He added that there are also key demands directed at the Punjab government. These include amendments to drug-related notifications issued by the state health department, regular inspections of Jan Aushadhi centres, and an end to alleged harassment of chemists by Punjab Police in drug-related cases.
The association also alleged that despite repeated requests, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has not responded to their calls for a meeting.
The protest is expected to impact medicine availability across the state if talks between the association and authorities do not take place before the scheduled shutdown.
