No takers for mismanaged generic medical shops

Penukonda: Due to lack of proper supervision of the officials concerned, the generic medical shops selling drugs at low prices here launched with fanfare by the previous Congress government are yet to take off. There has been no publicity regarding these shops. This has placed patients in a quandary.

Highlights:

• Anna Sanjivani medical shops are facing severe shortage of medicines
• Buyers are not aware of where generic medical shops are located

With the change of government, the TDP administration has changed the nomenclature of these shops to Anna Sanjivani, but failed to create the required public awareness. The shops are deserted with no customers as the buyers are unaware of the availability of such medicines. Besides, the shops are being shifted every month, adding to the confusion of needy patients.
An Anna Sanjivani generic medical shop has been set up in this divisional centre but officials concerned have evinced no interest in overseeing its proper running.

Consequently, patients who approach with high hopes of getting medicines at low rates, are a disappointed lot. As there is no clarity on its timings they are forced to wait for hours. Besides, it has no stocks of medicines sought by customers. Officials have also failed to supervise in ensuring that the shop is run properly on a permanent basis. They have been negligent in starting the shop in a tin shed located inside a bus shelter.

Already Anna Sanjivani shops are being run in the Penukonda constituency at Penukonda and Gorantla. There is severe shortage of medicines in these shops. Besides, they lack patronage as people are not aware of their location. Buyers are not aware that generic medicines are sold at lower rates than those prevailing in the market.

Usually the rates are 50 per cent less. A strip of ten Paracetamol tablets cost in these shops only Rs 5, as against Rs 16.75 sold elsewhere. In the case of diabetic drugs, each strip of ten tablets costs only Rs 9 in these shops as against the
outside price of Rs 42.

It is clear that the Anna Sanjivani medical shops are a boon to customers, but patients are suffering because of officials’ negligence. Local residents appeal to officials to locate these shops in area where people move and to ensure that they have enough stocks of medicines, besides taking up programmes to create public awareness.