Medical Store owners call off strike after Government assurance

Strike call given by the association on account of the extortion calls and mistreatment by drug inspectors

QUETTA: All Balochistan Medical Store Association on Thursday has lifted the strike call and opened medical stores in the Quetta after the government assured to address their grievances.

The association protested against extortion calls and mistreatment by Health Departments’ drug inspectors and therefore, announced to shut medical stores across the city on eve of Wednesday.

In a meeting with Medical Store Association, the provincial government and health department representatives had assured to address their grievances immediately and said that strict action will be taken against corrupt drug inspectors. The association called of the strike and directed all the medical store owners to open their business.

“We didn’t want to indulge public in more hardships, but we were compelled to go on strike and shut our medical stores as extortion calls and mistreatment by drug inspectors reached on high,” All Balochistan Medical Store Association President Syed Akber Shah said. He added that the masses plight and government assurance is the reason for calling off the strike.

The people of Quetta have witnessed grievous difficulties especially with those patients in the hospitals as medical stores remained closed throughout the day.

“There are no medicines in hospitals already…doctors have asked me to bring these medicines, but I do not know what to do since all medical stores are shut, ” said a local resident Nazar Muhammad.

He added “Last week, we badly suffered due to doctors’ strike and now medical owners went on strike. The Government should take strict action against those deliberately making things difficult for the masses.”