Medical store owners strike enters 3rd day in Punjab

MULTAN: The medical store owners on Saturday continued their shutter down strike for the third consecutive day against the Punjab Drug Act 2017 here. The patients faced severe problems due to unavailability of medicines. The chemists, druggists and retailers also took out a rally in support of their demands in front of the Nishtar Hospital. They blocked various roads to register their protest.

Similarly, traders of Wholesale Medicine Market observed a sit-in at Chowk Ghanta Ghar.

Medical store owners have been protesting against the amended Punjab Drug Act 2017, under which a pharmacist’s presence in the medical store has been declared mandatory, whereas a punishment would be awarded over untidiness in the medical stores.

SIALKOT: The Chemists and Druggists Association district chapter members on Saturday staged a demonstration on Railway Road against the Punjab Drug Act 2017. Addressing the protesters, Ch Ashiq Hussain Gujjar, Malik Tariq, Mirza Arshad and others said that the government was not serious to resolve their genuine problems. They termed the Punjab Drug Act as unfair and cruel, which was forcing them to shut their medical store business. They demanded the government accept their demands immediately otherwise their strike would continue.

Meanwhile, the patients faced severe problems due to shutter down strike of medical store owners. The people demanded the government consider the grievances of the medical store owners to end the strike.

TOBA TEK SINGH: On the call of the Chemists and Druggists Association, all medical stores of the district observed shutter down strike for the third consecutive day on Saturday. Talking here, Chemists and Druggists Association

district president Mian Imran Manzoor said that the strike would continue till acceptance of their demands. He said that the Drug Act 2017 was a black law under which medical stores were being sealed by the government officials on different pretexts.

GUJRANWALA: The strike of Chemists and Druggists Association entered the third day against the Drug Act on Saturday. The strike caused troubles for the locals as all medical stores in the city and tehsil areas were closed. Office-bearers of the association said their strike would continue till the acceptance of their demands.

OKARA: The medical store owners of the district observed shutter down strike for the third consecutive day against the Drug Act 2017 here on Saturday. The patients and their attendants faced a lot of difficulties to get medicines. The medical store owners also took out a rally from Tehsil Road. They chanted slogans in support of their demands. Later, the rally ended peacefully.

PAKPATTAN: On the call of the Chemists and the Druggists Association district chapter, medical store owners on Saturday observed a complete strike for the third consecutive day here and Arifwala. All medical stores remained closed, which caused problems for the patients and their attendants. The medical stores owners have demanded the Punjab government accept their demands immediately.