Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 22 (EMN): With the nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19, pharmacies in Kohima are struggling with medical supplies as some of them have reported that they are running out of stock.
Sarup Purkayastha, a pharmacist from Kohima, stated that most of their customers were diabetic, blood pressure (BP) and heart patients but there have been instances where the customers had to go back empty handed as their required medicines were out of stock.
He informed that there was no supply even though they have ordered the medicines, so they are using their old stock or buying it from hospitals.
“Transportation of medicine is not in good state,” he stated, citing lack of dedicated trucks to transport medicines unlike groceries and other goods. He said that purchasing medicine was the biggest challenge they have been facing since the lockdown, as there was no supply from the agency.
“All the pharmacies are facing the same problem,” he added.
“Lockdown is affecting the supply in medicine; it is not up to the expectation,” said Alfred, a pharmacist at Oking Hospital in Kohima. He added that many customers come to buy medicines for diabetes and BP, as some people take those medicines daily. “But we are giving out limited medicine to buyers as there is limited stock,” he said.
“We mostly used to order the medicines from Guwahati and Dimapur, but these days even if we order, it does not come in,” he shared, stating that the system was a “bit complicated.”
He shared that they have not completely run out of stock, and medicines are still available in their pharmacy as on April 22. He added that it would be appreciated if the government permit transportation of medicines during the lockdown, as the pharmacies were “struggling”.
He went on to say that they were trying their best, by being available to the patients and customers.