Kottayam : The Sangh Parivar government does not appear sated with incessant price hike of fuel and the LPG, now moving on with steep rise on prices of essential drugs. Drug inflation, according to healthcare workers and experts from private health sector, is bound to derail life for people. Ardram District Coordinator, Dr. Ajay Mohan said there is expected a rise of 10 percent on drug costs.
Medicines ranging from those for cold and fever to everyday drugs consumed by people with diabetes, blood pressure, heart disorders, bone ailments, will all fall in the line of fire. The State Health department said it will take all measures to see there happens no stock shortages at government hospitals resulting from the inflation.
Lifestyle disease patients hit hard. Elderly in the lurch.
People with lifestyle diseases are habituated to putting away a fixed part of their income for everyday drugs. Now that balance is set to crash. Also to be hit hard by the price rise would be pensioners who part with thousands each month for medicines they must take. A fixed rate of discount at Neethi-Sevana medical stores are a faint relief.
The situation will also open up opportunity for private hospitals to exploit patients with terminal illnesses. The worst-hit by Centre’s decision to up prices would be the aged citizens, given their failing health conditions that make medicines a must.
