SATISH HANDA
Nearly 15000 crore pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry in Haryana state is facing severe crisis since past sometime because of drastic increase in prices of raw material used in manufacturing drugs due to spread of ‘coroma virus’ disease in China by the chemical stockists and importers in the country, which is likely to severely affect production and sale of generic products in retail market. According to T.C. Kansal General Secretary of Haryana Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association since past about three decades, there were more than 300 manufacturers of pharmaceutical products in the state in past but the number squeezed to nearly 200 manufacturing units involved in annual sale worth Rs 15000 crore in domestic as well as in export markets at present, besides about 20000 retail and wholesale dealers in the state and most of the manufacturers had either closed down their business or migrated their manufacturing units to other states for survival due to lack of government support by previous governments in the state and attractive failed to offer attractive packages to this industry as compared to declared by adjoining Himachal and Uttarakhand states.
According to Ramesh Khurana President of Haryana Chemists & Druggists Association, nearly 70% raw material used in manufacturing drugs is being imported from China, which have completely stopped since past two-three weeks and there is no hope for improvement in supplies in coming four to six weeks or more till situation becomes normal in China as such micro, small and medium enterprises manufacturing drugs is likely to be adversely affected in future due to acute shortage of medicines prescribed for cold, cough, headache, fever and other common health disorders in future for few months and large number of small scale units in the state producing medicines on third party basis for large manufacturers may turn sick and forced to close down their shutters in this period.
According to experts in pharmaceutical business the prices of medicines are likely to witness 30-40% increase in case situation doesn’t improve in China immediately. Information reveals, that the prices of life saving drugs are fixed by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and most of the pharmaceutical manufacturers have stopped manufacturing such life saving medicines on the ground not getting raw material for manufacturing the same. A survey reveals that the prices of some of raw materials such as D-Biotin , Anti-allergy salt, Agi-thromycine and Peracitamol has drastically increased likely to have adverse effect on manufacture of drugs in future.
The entrepreneurs of pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Haryana state demand government to assist them in present circumstances, offer attractive packages to industry, simplify the procedures in pharmaceuticals sector. T.C. Kansal told that the manufacturers recently had a meeting with the senior government officials and ‘Neeti Ayog’ to discuss as regard formulations of important medicines and simplify rules by drug control offices in the country in order to expand pharmaceuticals production by hundred percent since most of small scale industrial units in the country are using hardly 40% of their production capacity due to strict rules by the government. Kansal said that Indian pharmaceuticals industry is capable to develop raw material used in preparation of drugs but it is difficult to get clearance from the government due to lengthy procedures.
