Nagpur: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced emergency contact numbers and initiated measures to ensure uninterrupted availability of medicines in Nagpur district ahead of May 20 strike by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists.FDA also issued helpline contact numbers for patients and their relatives in case medicines are urgently required. Citizens can contact Drug Inspectors Swati Bharde on 9890828194, Prashant Ramteke on 9028670024, and Abhishek Chavardol on 8897940981 for assistance.Chemists’ associations across the country have called the bandh in register protest over online pharmacies. The FDA said extensive preparations were made to maintain smooth supply of essential drugs during the strike period. As per the administration, a meeting with office-bearers of retail and wholesale chemists’ associations in the district was held on May 11. FDA appealed to chemists not to participate in the strike in the larger public interest and to keep medical stores operational. Officials said efforts are also being made to personally contact medicine shop owners and persuade them to remain open. The administration directed that adequate precautions be taken to ensure patients do not face hardship due to the bandh. The administration appealed to citizens not to panic and clarified that several major pharmacy chains in Nagpur, including MedPlus Chemist and Druggist, Apollo Pharmacy, and Wellness Forever, will continue operations as usual on May 20.
