Over 9 lakh chemists, distributors to go on indefinite strike demanding jabs

After their repeated appeals to make them a priority group for vaccination fell on deaf ears, more than 9.40 lakh chemists and medicine distributors across India are likely to go for an indefinite strike if they are not vaccinated. More than 650 chemists and pharmacists have lost their lives due to Covid, according to All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists. A report by Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi: More than 9.40 lakh chemists and medicine distributors across India are likely to go for an indefinite strike if they were not vaccinated on priority basis by the government.

“We serve the people taking the risk of our lives. But the government does not consider us as a priority group. So, we have demanded to the government to consider our request to vaccinate all our members in the country or else we will have no other option left except to go for an indefinite lockdown and strike,” said Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) in an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat on Monday.

The AIOCD is going to call for its national body meeting by this week to take a final call on their proposed strike.

“We will discuss the matter in our national body meeting and take the final call,” said Singhal.

Ever since the vaccination drive started in India since January 16, the central government has prioritized the process by making health care workers, frontline workers, people above 60 years and 45 years as priority groups.

“Chemists and medicine distributors have been on 24/7 duty since March 2020. We always remain at the front as far as the possibility of getting infection of the disease as we keep interacting with the people, so we have demanded that the 9.40 lakh chemists should be considered as priority groups for vaccination,” said Singhal.

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He said that since March to date, more than 650 chemists and pharmacists have lost their lives due to Covid. “The chemists and pharmacists are more vulnerable as they remain in contact with many Covid patients at the shop counter,” said Singhal.

Since November last year, AIOCD wrote letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Niti Aayog member Dr VK Paul but they did not get any positive response till date.

“The grievance cell in the PMO suggested we contact the Health Ministry. When we contacted the health ministry, we were suggested to contact Niti Aayog. And there is no response from Niti Aayog till date,” informed Singhal.

“It’s ironic that inspite of playing a major role in India’s fight against Covid19 pandemic, we were deprived from getting the vaccination on priority…so we don’t have any other options right now, except to call for nationwide strike,” said Singhal.

In a recent letter dashed to Dr VK Paul, the AIOCD said that as all other health care workers have already been vaccinated, “government can now inoculate all the chemists and drug distributors as they also remain at the forefront in the fight against Covid19.”

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