Retail, wholesale chemists to take 5-day break from July1

Mohit Khanna 

Tribune News Service 

Ludhiana, June 29 

As the wholesale chemists of Pindi Street are going on a five-day holiday from July 1 to 5, the Retail Chemists’ Association is taking the move with a pinch of salt.

The association opined that its members had no option but to shut down their shops as well, as many of them do not have enough space to store huge stocks. The retail chemists are also going on leave from July 1 to 3, said Aman Ahuja, president of the Ludhiana Retail Chemists’ Association.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to the patients and their relatives. However, medicines will be available at the drug stores of Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), SPS Hospital, Fortis Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and Civil Hospital,” Aman Ahuja added.

He added a retail chemist posted an average sale of Rs 15,000 or Rs 20,000 a day. “As the wholesale chemists are proceeding on leave for five days, the retail chemists will have no option but to maintain a stock of medicines worth Rs 1 lakh. For some chemists, this is simply an unviable proposition,” Ahuja said.

He added that nearly 1,300 shops of chemists would remained closed from July 1 to 3.

“We request the residents to prepare the prior stock of necessary medicines and vaccines. However, there is no need to panic as medicines will be available in all major hospitals of the city,” Ahuja said. 

On the other hand, the decision has caused panic among the residents. Davinder Gupta, a resident of Civil Lines, said my father was a kidney patient. He has to visit the chemist each day to buy medicines for treatment. “I believe that the wholesalers and retailers should not have gone on holidays on the same day. It is worrisome as sometimes the medicines are not available in drug stores of the hospitals. If such situation arises, then we will be in a tight spot,” Davinder added. 

Sonia Malik, another city resident, said the chemist had told her about the holidays and advised her to maintain a surplus stock of the required medicines.