Jorhat, May 15 — The Jorhat District Medicine Traders Association on Friday alleged that pharmaceutical companies have been quietly raising prices of life‑saving medicines across categories, imposing an added burden on patients and ordinary people. Association president Sanjeev Kumar Bora said traders will join a nationwide shutdown on May 20 to protest online medicine platforms and regulatory concerns.
Bora told reporters that medicines for common fever, liver and kidney ailments, cancer and several other conditions have seen significant hikes in recent months. He said the increases have been implemented gradually so consumers often do not notice them at once.
“Prices of life‑saving medicines have been rising very quietly. If prices are increased sharply at one time, people immediately notice it. So, companies increase prices gradually in phases. On some occasions it may rise by five per cent, while in other cases the increase may be much higher,” Bora said.
He alleged the trend became more noticeable after the conclusion of Assembly elections in four states and compared the pattern to rising costs of essentials such as petrol, diesel, pulses, sugar and milk. “After elections, prices of various commodities usually go up. Huge amounts are spent during elections and ultimately the burden falls on ordinary citizens in one form or another,” he claimed.
Bora added that almost no category of medicine has been spared: “From medicines for ordinary fever to drugs used for liver and kidney treatment, almost all medicines have become costlier. There is no specific category that has been spared.”
Pointing to wider causes, he said global geopolitical tensions — particularly instability in the Middle East — could indirectly push up medicine prices, though he cautioned it would be difficult to establish the exact impact. He urged central government action, arguing that authorities have the legal mechanisms to fix or regulate medicine prices in the public interest. “The central government can certainly fix or regulate medicine prices if it wants to. There are adequate systems and legal provisions available to control unreasonable price increases,” he said.
Bora also criticised the continuation of online medicine delivery rules introduced during the COVID‑19 pandemic, saying relaxations meant for emergency home delivery still disadvantage traditional pharmacies. “Those emergency circumstances no longer exist, but the system introduced during the pandemic is still continuing, creating difficulties for ordinary medicine shops and traders,” he said.
With pharmaceutical traders and medicine establishments across the country announcing a shutdown on May 20, Bora questioned why the trade has not exerted stronger collective pressure on the government to curb medicine price inflation. “When lakhs of people are associated with the pharmaceutical trade sector, we must also raise our voice strongly on the issue of reducing medicine prices for the benefit of the public,” he added, calling for prompt regulatory attention to protect patients and small retailers.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/jorhat-pharma-traders-demand-govt-intervention-over-soaring-medicine-prices-1611675
Category: Assam
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-05-15 18:11:00
