Most essential items fail to reach the elderly and sick

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 26

It was the second day of the 21-day lockdown in the entire nation today, but teething troubles for the district seem yet to be over.

Sick people, especially elderly, in Chopal, Nerwa and other places faced an acute shortage of essential items such as milk, bread and vegetables even after the curfew was relaxed for three hours from 8 am to 11 am today. On the other hand, farmers are also a worried lot as their crops of vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage and peas are ready for harvesting, but they are finding it difficult to transport these. The local transport and farm-related activities have not be given relaxation. Surender Chauhan, a farmer, said the production and supply chains of vegetable and fruits should be given relaxation.

Sources said medicines for certain ailments, such as prostate, were out of stock. Local chemists were not being allowed to move out of the district to get medicines.

Balbir Singh and Gyan Singh, both senior citizens from Chopal, said there was no janaushadhi kendra at Nerwa and Chopal and many patients getting treatment from the PGI and the IGMC Shimla, were not getting medicine. Local residents complained that while the supplies of milk, bread and vegetables was limited in the capital city, towns such as Kotkhai, Chopal, Deha, Theog, Kumrsain, Jubbal and Rohru did not get anything.