Heartbreaking Closure: Beloved Chemist Shops Shutter in Chandigarh Government Facilities
Over the past year, three chemist shops at Civil Hospitals in Sector 22, Mani Majra, and GMSH-16 in Chandigarh have closed due to high rent and low sales. These shops were intended to provide medicines and medical equipment to patients, especially at night. However, only the chemist shop at Sector 45 Hospital remains operational, although it also faces potential closure.
Former health secretary Yashpal Garg initiated the establishment of these shops to improve medicine accessibility. However, high rental costs—around Rs 10 lakh—and limited patient demand, particularly in Sector 22 where most patients receive free maternity care, have led to the closure of these shops. The presence of numerous private chemist shops nearby also contributes to reduced business.
Similarly, the chemist shop at Mani Majra Hospital closed after a year due to the same financial pressures, with many medicines provided free to patients. At GMSH-16, a previous shop was shut down over issues like encroachment and contractual matters. Despite reopening with costs nearing Rs 17 lakh, it too shut down four months ago. Currently, GMSH-16 hosts two private chemist shops and a Jan Aushadhi Kendra, with plans underway to reopen the hospital’s shop through a tender process.
Senior officials suggest the government should lower rent for these shops since a majority of medications are offered for free and treatments for pregnant women are entirely costless. Dr. Suman Singh, Director of Health Services, highlighted an increase in the list of free medicines from 47 to 175, with plans to expand to 375. She noted that rent is determined by land value, as set by the Department of Engineering, and while vacancies are acknowledged, business guarantees cannot be offered. Efforts to reissue tenders for the closed shops are in progress.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/chemist-shops-close-chandigarh-govt-facilities-9757555/
Category : Chandigarh,Cities
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Publish Date: 2025-01-03 07:48:00
