Hyderabad: Telangana health minister T Harish Rao on Thursday slammed the Centre on Thursday for the 12 percent price hike that would take effect on April 1 for roughly 384 drugs and almost 1000 formulations of essential medicines.
“Is this the BJP promised Amrit Kal? These are not Ache Din. These are Sache Din (Days in which people die),” he said.
He said that the increase in the cost of critical medications that are prescribed for often-occurring conditions like fever, hypertension, skin conditions, infections, anemia, etc. will have a significant impact and place an additional financial strain on lower- and middle-class households.
“The BJP-led centre has made it a habit of upsetting middle-class and low-income families by hiking prices across the board. By increasing the cost of gasoline, diesel, and LPG whenever a chance is presented, the BJP has made a joke of itself. The Center has now chosen to introduce a 12% increase in the price of life-saving medications as if unsatisfied with the ongoing increases in the price of fuel and petrol,” Harish rao tweeted.
Due to a significant increase in the Wholesale Price Index, the costs of 384 essential medications and more than 1,000 formulations are expected to increase by more than 11 percent. Consumers will have to pay extra for common and necessary medications, such as painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-infection medications, starting on April 1 due to the price increase.
