While the country is facing one of the biggest healthcare crisis in recent times, a section of people is busy trying to make profit from common people’s suffering. Commonly prescribed essential medicines have suddenly gone up in price. Certain syndicates are behind this price rigging due to absence of proper monitoring.
Several household medicine supplies, such as pain relief tablets as well as antibiotics, including antihistamines and antimalarial drugs, are now costlier at retail drug stores. Consumers have also alleged that they are unable to find these commonly used medicines.
The syndicates are attempting to create an artificial crisis of drugs during the coronavirus epidemic in order to drive up prices. If these practices are not stopped, the price of essential medicine will go beyond general people's buying capacity.
The syndicates are attempting to create an
artificial crisis of drugs during the coronavirus
epidemic in order to drive up prices.
Other items such as antiseptic hand rub and face masks have also become more expensive. The prices of some of these items have doubled and even tripled in some cases. Unscrupulous traders are trying to take advantage of general people when they are at their most vulnerable. They are using people’s helplessness amid the coronavirus epidemic to line their own pockets.
The reckless greed of these syndicates is causing patients of various ailments to suffer greatly. This is particularly affecting lower-income families. Due to the spread of the disease, many people have lost their source of income. During such a time, increase in essential goods such a medicine will no doubt cause great suffering.
Law enforcers raiding some drug stores in the city said that a syndicate is now controlling such illicit medicine business artificially creating crisis and raising prices of the drugs.
The authorities must further investigate the matter and identify the people behind these powerful syndicates. The criminals must be penalized severely for trying to exploit the public during a national crisis.
