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Letters to the Editor: May 20, 2019

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FEATURE LETTER DIARY 679x400 e1553672678487Devise profit-formula for all drugs

It refers to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) slashing prices of nine anti-cancer drugs by up to 87 per cent. Big question is firstly why drug-companies were allowed to mint money in the past with government-agency like NPPA in existence, and secondly why such price-slashing is not done for all drugs in one go with even World Health Organisation WHO establishing that even essential drugs in India with lowest printed Maximum-Retail-Price MRP are exorbitantly priced over manufacturing-cost followed by abnormally high trade-margin between ex-factory price and MRP. High profit-margin is evident from the fact that many companies selling on-line medicines have emerged giving heavy discounts of up to 25 per cent on medicines that too bearing the heavy cost of packing and home-delivery.

NPPA must devise a profit-formula rather than differentiating by having various categories of medicines where price-regulation is applicable only for some limited drugs. Presently even generic medicines considered to be a cheaper version of respective branded medicines have exorbitant trade-margins of several hundred percent. There are many medicines where different drug-manufacturers take undue advantage of their brand-popularity with prices of same medicine differing several times according to brand-popularity.

Price-revision of any medicines must be allowed only once in a year say on First January only unless approved as a special case by NPPA. Gimmick packaging other than in units of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 gms, mltrs or units must not be allowed unless approved by NPPA for dose-wise administration. The rule should be to emboss or print the name of medicine in a manner that name is there on every capsule or tablet thus ruling out the possibility of wastage of drug in case name-portion of the strip is consumed.

Madhu Agrawal

 

City hoardings — drastic steps

The bulk of the hoardings removed from the streets of Mumbai and it took over two months to take such a drastic step. It is very difficult to keep the city’s pavements free of hoardings showcasing various leaders in, it must be admitted, alliterative language, but at the same time most of it qualifying to be purple prose. What has therefore resulted in a rash of hoardings all along routes that certain VIPs in our city taken when they do such mundane things as going to the office, or take a flight out or return home after a short visit somewhere. It is even felt that these people have hoardings, banners and posters put up even with their homes as well. However, the failure of BMC to remove hoardings and file case is astonishing as the civic officials are in a fix due to pressure and lack of police protection as reasons for inaction against parties. The main concern is buildings structural stability and then also how these billboards have become eyesores.

Ramanathan Ramani Suresh

 

Demand-supply mismatch leading to health hazard!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away but a mango a day not just keeps you away from diseases but is a powerhouse that keeps you healthy and energised. Mango is a seasonal fruit that is loved by all and is often referred to as the King of fruits. Demand-supply of mango has forced traders to ripen mango artificially by using calcium carbide which not just has an adverse effect on the health of people but even the flavour and taste of mangoes have disappeared over the years.

Mangoes are rich in vitamins, are good for digestion, help cure many diseases, and are health booster in more sense than one. However, artificially ripened mangoes weaken not just liver but are a health deterrent and all the benefits of mangoes are not just neutralised but has a serious effect on people consuming mangoes. We outsource mangoes from Ratnagiri and Devgadh in its raw state and wait for it to ripen in its original form though it takes three weeks. Mango goes well with shakes, shrikhand, sandwiches, and almost all food items which are the reason why people of all age groups love it. The government should have stringent laws to punish people selling ripened fruits using harmful chemicals to save people becoming a victim of diseases as it even causes cancer!

S.N.Kabra


(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

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