Medicine shortage looms, Govt eases curbs
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 11 2021:
Expressing serious concern over possible shortage of medicines including Covid related ones due to restriction on transaction in banks in Imphal, Manipur Chemists & Druggists' Association (MCDA) has sent a memorandum to chief minister N Biren on Tuesday.
The memorandum pointed out that the second wave of Covid 19 pandemic has disrupted trade operation across India.
Moreover, as the stockists are not able to send the payment to their respective companies due to restriction on transaction in banks in Imphal, the companies have stopped supplying medicines to the stockists in Manipur.
This has led to shortage of medicines including Covid related medicines at wholesale level, it added.
Urging the chief minister to take this issue very seriously, the memorandum cautioned that there will be shortages of medicines in Manipur market sooner rather than later if no remedial measures were not taken up while there is still time.
On the other hand, upon receiving several requests from the public for suitable relaxation from the present curfew restrictions imposed on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Home Department has reportedly been proposed by the chief minister's office to initiate relevant process for easing the curfew restrictions for certain sectors.
Consequently, chief secretary in-charge and State Executive Committee chairman MH Khan has allowed partial resumption of activities under the condition that Covid-19 SOPs such as maintaining social distancing, wearing of face mask and sanitisation shall be strictly followed.
The activities/services exempted from the purview of the curfew include Child Protection Services (Orphanages, children homes, observation homes, etc); home delivery services under ICDS/ICPS (supplementary nutrition for children, pregnant & lactating mothers); home delivery of various goods and services (food items, vegetables, groceries, medicines, etc.); departments of forest, environment & climate change, finance and treasuries with minimal staff; banking services with limited staff on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10 am to 2:30 pm for government and non-government transactions; ATM services; and sale of fish/ani-mal feeds, milk and milk products, fish, poultry and poultry products from 7 am to 2 pm for purchase by the locals.
It may be mentioned that on May 7, the state government announced imposition of curfew in the districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Kakching, Thoubal, Churachandpur and Ukhrul to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The curfew will be in force till May 17 .