World Pharmacists Day celebrated in Patiala

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 26

On Monday evening, the Punjab State Pharmacy Officers Association celebrated World Pharmacists Day at the Parbhat Parwana Memorial Hall here.

The gathering was presided over by the district president, Jaswant Singh Basra. He said the Punjab government had not taken any initiative to promote the pharmacy profession.

District secretary Inderjeet Singh Kharod said the event was dedicated in remembrance of pharmacy officer Surinder Kaur, who died in an accident during the pharmacist strike in 1990.

State president, Narinder Mohan Sharma, said the Punjab government doesn’t pay attention to the pharmacists. “Officers of our rural pharmacy receive a meagre salary, and pharmacy officers who belong to the ESI department draw a salary much less than regular class IV employees.”

“The government appointed doctors for Rs 50 per patient and pharmacists for Rs 12 per patient, which created discrimination with pharmacy officers”, Sharma said. He also demanded the cancellation of the fake registration of pharmacists by the Pharmacy Council.