Ranchi: Patients across Ranchi and other parts of Jharkhand faced significant inconvenience on Wednesday as medical stores remained closed in response to a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD). The Jharkhand Chemists and Druggists Association (JCDA) had announced on Tuesday that over one lakh medicine shops across the state would shut down in support of the protest. Consequently, retail pharmacies across the city stayed closed throughout the day, forcing patients and their attendants to rely on pharmacies located within hospital premises, which continued operations.
Patient Struggles
Residents were seen moving from one location to another in search of open pharmacies, particularly those requiring urgent medicines for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and other critical conditions. Savitri Kumari, a resident of the Bariatu area, said she needed diabetic medicines for her father and was unaware of the strike in advance. "Since the medical stores on hospital premises were open, I managed to get the medicines from a hospital pharmacy, although it involved a long and time-consuming journey," she said.
Strike Impact
During the 24-hour strike, around 18,000 retail and wholesale medical stores across Ranchi remained closed. However, pharmacies operating within private and government hospital premises continued to function to reduce inconvenience to the public. JCDA president Umesh Srivastav, expressing solidarity with the AIOCD's strike call, said that shops were closed on Wednesday but normal operations would resume from Thursday. JCDA members also gathered at Albert Ekka Chowk in support of the strike and raised slogans highlighting their demands.
Reasons for Protest
"The rapid growth of online pharmacy platforms is affecting the business of medical stores by offering heavy discounts and faster delivery services. Apart from the financial losses suffered by offline pharmacies, e-pharmacies are also supplying substandard medicines, putting patients' lives at risk. We closed our shops in protest against these malpractices," Srivastav said. The strike underscores the growing tension between traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacies and emerging online competitors, with chemists demanding stricter regulations on e-pharmacies to ensure patient safety and fair business practices.
