DRUG SHORTAGE HITS VALLEY - Indian companies refuse to ship directly to Kashmir

DRUG SHORTAGE HITS VALLEY
Greater Kashmir Sept 25

Chemists Seek Int'l Red Cross, Amnesty Intervention

MUHAMMAD TASIM ZAHID

Srinagar, Sep 24: Kashmir continues to suffer from drug shortage as major drug companies are refusing to send direct supply to the valley. This is despite the fact that valley consumes 80 per cent of the total state drug consumption.
Exasperated by the indifference of the drug companies towards Kashmir, the Valley Chemists and Druggists Association has asked the International Committee of Red Cross, Amnesty International and human rights organizations to come forward and intervene to save Kashmir from going to the brink.
Though the companies earn more in Kashmir, they want to trade through Jammu traders following a threat of political backlash by Jammu-based Pharma Association if they directly send supply to Kashmir.
However, in the valley there is strong resentment against ‘keeping Jammu middlemen alive’ in this age of globalization with chemists saying it is proving detrimental to the their trade and the people of Kashmir. The valley chemists also are opposing trade with Jammu following the economic blockade of Kashmir by Jammu-based companies, which had led to humanitarian crises here in August.
Mushtaq Ahmed is the spokesperson of the Valley Chemists and Pharma Distributors Association. He says, “There is a 30 per cent shortage of medicines presently in the valley. In case the condition does not improve we will have no option but to ask international agencies like Red Cross to intervene and save Kashmiris.”
Today the association took out a protest demonstration asking the international agencies to intervene and save Kashmiris. One of the protesting pharmacists, Nasir Ahmed, said, “We will not let Kashmiris suffer again for want of medicines.”
The association has given a deadline of September 30 to all major drug companies to decide about direct supply to the valley instead of going through Jammu-based agencies.
Mushtaq says that their demands are not illogical. “Our demand is simple, that the companies start supplying drugs directly to valley as Kashmir contributes almost Rs 100 crores a month to the pharmacy industry. Jammu contributes hardly 20 per cent of that.”
While five companies are already directly supplying drugs to Kashmir, but their names are being kept under wraps after threats from Jammu.
The association is, however, optimistic about the other companies also, saying that no company has out rightly refused yet.
Before the armed uprising in 1989 in the state, all major drug companies had their depots in Kashmir. But after the situation worsened the companies shifted depots temporarily to Jammu. Since then even the new players in the drug market have set up their depots in Jammu. While initially their number was around five, today there are almost 30 drug depots in Jammu. Industry estimates put the yearly turnover of Pharma companies in Kashmir region at almost Rs 1200 crores.
The arrangement was working fine until the Amarnath land transfer agitation in Jammu led to the economic blockade of Kashmir. The blockade led to a severe shortage of drugs in the valley.
The association is ready to boycott those companies who do not send drugs directly to the valley. Mushtaq said, “We will boycott their products and black list those companies. We will also talk to doctors and ask them not to prescribe the medicines of those companies and instead prescribe alternatives.”
The association has already black listed drug giant Cipla because the company has given its marketing rights of Kashmir to a Jammu-based agency. Cipla has its own distribution unit in Jammu but the marketing rights for the valley are with a Jammu-based agency.