Medicine supply shortage affects retail stores in Lucknow

Rahul Tripathi | TNN | Apr 21, 2020, 07:04 IST

Stocks of retailers are depleting as wholesalers have stopped supplying medicines

LUCKNOW: Stock of essential medicines in retail pharmacies in the city is declining following closure of Aminabad wholesale market on April 15 after an adjoining area was declared hotspot.
Wholesalers were asked by the district administration to shift to Transport Nagar where majority of godowns and warehouses are located. But as a section of wholesalers do not have godowns in Transport Nagar, supply chain has shrunk.
Now, to ensure adequate supply to retailers, the district administration has decided to allow the wholesalers to move their existing stocks of medicine from their godowns in Aminabad to Transport Nagar. Durg inspector Madhuri Singh said around 75% of the wholesalers have godowns in Transport Nagar. Rest of them said they have made arrangements to operate from Transport Nagar, but need to shift stocks kept in Aminabad godowns. “We have granted them permission and situation will be normal from Tuesday,” she said. Retail medicine store owners said there were about 700 wholesalers in Aminabad medicine market who supplied medicines of various brands. Many of them have stopped supplying, hence stocks are depleting.
Giriraj Singh, president of Lucknow Chemists and Druggists Association, said, “There is no shortage of medicine. If any pharmacist is facing any problem, he may contact me and I will fulfil the requirement.”
Pankaj Bhargava, a retailer of Aminabad, said, “There is shortage of medicines of BP, diabetes and heart problems as Transport Nagar wholesalers are unable to provide medicine as it was done by Aminabad market.”