Ranchi, [Ashish Jha]. Despite the freedom to open shops from day one even during lockdown, the drug business was severely affected. The biggest reason for this was the closure of government and private OPDs in Jharkhand. While 17 thousand shopkeepers of the state did drugs business worth about Rs 140 crore in the month of April last year, in April this year the figure was around 50 crore. Even if sales increased in May, the figure has reached around half. The big thing is that the business of branded medicines remained to some extent but there was a huge decline in the sale of generic drugs and contact-based medicines. Due to the closure of OPD of hospitals, medical representatives also did not reach the doctors, due to which the sales figure further fell.
The operator of Amar Medical Hall, located in Upper Bazaar, the biggest center of wholesale and retail shops in Jharkhand, says that their sales have come down to less than 10 percent. We are opening a shop, so we are opening it. According to him, the daily sales in the shop used to be 40 to 50 thousand rupees, while now it has come down to two-three thousand. At the same time, the owner of Radha Medical Hall, New Market Ratu Road, says that his sales have been reduced to 10 percent. According to him, apart from the usual medicine, only the old parts drug is being sold. However, sales of sanitizers, masks and gloves have been abundant. Due to these products, the market has also remained bright.
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There is no such problem with wholesale traders. Especially those who have branded products. One such wholesaler, Balkar Singh Namdhari, says that the sales of medicines from him have reduced by 40 to 50 percent. Private hospitals are the largest consumers of medicines to date, but sales were adversely affected due to the closure of OPD. Sales of the country’s big companies Pfizer, Alchem, Cipla, Glaxo, Mankind, Cadila, Aristo, Novartis etc. have all been affected.
Diabetes, BP patients stock medicines, now decreased sales : Diabetes, blood pressure drug sales in the state have also suddenly decreased. This happened because with the implementation of the lock-down, the patients bought the medicine for five-six months. In the last week of March, drug sales of these diseases suddenly increased. But their sales also declined in April-May.
These are also the reasons for the decrease in sales
- OPDs are still not opening in private hospitals. Doctors’ nursing homes are also closed.
- Surgeries that are avoidable even in large hospitals are being avoided.
- Most dental clinics are closed.
- People are falling sick less as pollution levels improve.
- Minor accidents have also decreased due to vehicles not moving due to lock down.
