>press issued by sharad yadav president jdu
Sharad Yadav, MP
To
Sonia Verma Manisha Lal Emanuel Vianney Pawan Kumar Arvind rathore.pankaj@yahoo.co.in and 293 more...
Today at 3:16 PM
JANATA DAL (UNITED)
7. Jantar Mantar Road
New Delhi-110001
011-23368836-23017405
October 10, 2014
PRESS RELEASE
I am worried that the life saving drugs have become expensive and are beyond the reach of the common man in the country after the recent concluded visit of the Prime Minister to U.S.A. It was clear from the fact that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority ( NPPA) had withdrawn the order whereby the essential life saving drugs were kept under control was issued before the visit of the Prime Minister. After lifting the control on these medicines, the prices are increasing leaps and bounds, as a result of which these medicines will be beyond the reach of the common man, leaving aside the case of poor people. As I have earlier mentioned when we met last that in the present regime also there is no change in the price rise tendency of the essential commodities. The Government is only awaiting the coming Assembly elections in some States to be over when it is going to announce certain other decisions which will further hit the poor people. It is inhumane on the part of the Government to de-control 108 life saving drugs which are used for the patients of heart, cancer, T.B, diabetes, HIV, and for respiratory diseases.
It may be mentioned here that the drug for cancer namely Geftinat which was earlier available in the market between Rs. 5900 and Rs. 8500, is ranging around Rs. 11500. Similarly, the price of medicine i.e. Cardice for heart ailment which was available between Rs 92 to Rs. 147 is ranging between Rs. 147 and Rs.1615. I am told that the prices for drugs for cancer and diabetes are going to be increased 10 times more which will be disastrous for the country like India. Not only this, even the prices for drugs for treatment of dog bite are set to be increased. In our country, the patients suffering from diabetes are around 4.1 crore, from heart ailments 4.7 crore , from T.B 22 lakh and from cancer around 11 lakh, and after withdrawal of the above mentioned order of the N.P.P.A., there is no control on the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing these life saving drugs. I do not understand as to why the present Government is bent upon to provide benefits to the American companies. Only one year had passed that the previous Government brought control on life saving drugs through N.P.P.A, which the present Government has removed for the reasons best known to them. It is ridiculous that even the present Government after coming into power brought all these drugs into the bracket of the order of N.P.P.A, but soon before the visit of P.M to U.S.A., the Government withdrew these drugs from the said order. What does it shows which is clear that the action was taken to provide benefit to the American companies on the cost of poor Indian people. The issue of life saving drugs was first raised by me, and therefore the press note issued earlier is enclosed.
In so far as prices of life saving drugs are concerned, I am failed to understand that as to why the Government is not coming forward to inform the factual position to the country. I am told that there is lot of hue and cry amongst the patients who are suffering from such diseases, and it is essential that the Government should clear its position. I would say that in nutshell the present Government is unconcerned and not worried about the livelihood of common and poor people of this country.
(Sharad Yadav) M.P
President