MULTAN,Jan 2nd: To express solidarity with the traders of Wholesale medicine market of Karachi, Pakistan Chemists & Druggists association (PCDA) held a meeting here under the chairmanship of Muhammad Akhtar Butt . Shaikh Ikram Shehzad,Ali Hussain Siddiqui, Shaikh Muhammad Naeem,Ashraf Butt, Waqas Butt, Ch.Ahmed and Muhammad Saleem ,while addressing the meeting ,said that they would also observe the strike to express solidarity with the affectees if Karachi chemists and druggists and wholesalers give a call for strike. They said that there will be a severe shortage of medicines in the country
Some members ,however, opposed the strike and said ,"we should launch a fund raising drive throughout the country for the revival of medicine traders. They also urged upon the Government to enhance the financial assistance to compensate the affectees
Akhtar Butt said that the Karachi medicine market traders suffered a loss of approximately Rs30 million in which some 35 out of the total 500 medicine shops in the market had been completely destroyed. “Life saving drugs, surgical goods as well as essential medicines like Ponstan, Panadol, Brufen are in severe shortage at most of the small and big medical stores in the city now.” This, he said was because most of the retailers buy medicine on daily basis and were suffering due to the closure of medicine market, the patients would suffer the ultimate affect of this closure.