Hospital pharmacies, corporate stores in Telangana to stay open during strike

Hyderabad: Hospital-attached pharmacies and corporate medical chains will remain open and drug inspectors will be on standby across Telangana on Wednesday, May 20, as the state’s Drugs Control Administration (DCA) put in place emergency arrangements ahead of a one-day nationwide bandh called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) on the day.

Following a meeting with the AIOCD’s Telangana chapter, the DCA said pharmacy stores attached to hospitals would continue to operate through the bandh day, while district chapters of the AIOCD would remain in close coordination with Drug Inspectors to ensure emergency medicine supply from local stores wherever needed.

Corporate pharmacy chains, including Apollo and Medplus, have also been directed to keep their outlets open, the DCA said in a press note.

All field officers of the department have been instructed to remain vigilant and respond promptly to any complaints relating to medicine availability, the DCA added, saying the administration was closely monitoring the situation across the state.

Members of the public facing difficulty in accessing essential or emergency medicines may contact their local Drugs Inspector or the Assistant Director, DCA. Contact details are available on the department’s official website

under the “Key Contacts” section. A toll-free helpline 1800 599 6969 has also been made available for public assistance, the release said.