2 UK
AsianVoiceNews
AsianVoiceNewsweekly
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28 March - 3 April 2020
Birmingham pharmacy inflates calpol prices
with Keith Vaz
Sunju Gohel Sunju Gohel is the Superintendent Pharmacist at ‘Mr Medicine Online Pharmacy’. He was born and raised in Leicester, and graduated from De Montfort University in 2013 with a Master’s degree in Pharmacy. After qualifying, Sunju went on to work as a locum community pharmacist, working at various pharmacies across the East Midlands. He has since started his own online pharmacy business, where they provide healthcare and pharmaceutical services nationally – with a key focus on the local community.
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Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in? Leicester. It truly is a wonderful city which has a unique melting pot of diverse cultures. From the world famous Diwali celebrations, to the historic Leicester City Premiership title win – the city’s name is globally known and I feel proud to call it home.
make them proud with my accomplishments.
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What is the best aspect of your current role? What I like most about my role is being in a position to make a difference in people’s lives by having a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.
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And the worst?
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What are your proudest achievements?
Completing my ‘pre registration’ year (a year in pharmacy practice after university). It is a demanding year that requires balancing full time work alongside full time academic work.
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What inspires you?
I currently enjoy my role very much, so I would not say there is a “worst aspect”. However, running your own business certainly has its challenges.
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What are your long term goals?
I have always been inspired by these words from Albert Einstein, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”. As it is a reminder that when you face a problem or complications, there is a chance to find a way to resolve it and learn from the experience.
My long term goal is to expand the products and services my pharmacy offers. I would like to offer a more tailored and personalised approach to the health and wellbeing of the local community we serve. I also hope to add a retail community pharmacy to my business portfolio in the near future.
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Biggest obstacle in your career?
The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is by far the biggest obstacle I have encountered in my career as a pharmacist. I am continually engaging with concerned members of the local community and reassuring them in this period of uncertainty. The pandemic has also resulted in logistical issues which have affected the supply chains of vital medicines.
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Who has been biggest influence on your career to date? My parents. They have always encouraged and pushed me to do my best and to pursue my dreams. I am thankful of the values and work ethic they have instilled in me. I hope to
If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I would remove university tuition fees. Student debt is continuing to grow and is reaching an unsustainable level which is placing a heavy burden on young people. I believe that education should be free for all and not a commodity to be sold.
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If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why My choice would have to Mahatma Gandhi. His infinite wisdom along with his simple, non-materialistic way of living would be the ideal remedy for life on a desert island.
On 19th March, a Birmingham councillor expressed his disappointment at a local pharmacy inflating prices of a bottle of children's Calpol which was being sold at £19.99. City councillor Majid Mahmood from Bromford and Hodge Hill tweeted about the huge increase. His tweet read, “Really disappointed that a local @JhootsPharmacy in my ward is charging extortionate prices for paracetamol and calpol. Just last week it was charging £1.39 for 32 paracetamol and today it is £9.99. “Not good for a community pharmacy putting profits before people. #COVID2019!” The Pharmacy is a branch of Jhoots Pharmacy, a Walsall-based company with more than 100 branch-
es across the country. The firm said it was investigating. A 200ml bottle of infant Calpol - a paracetemol based suspension for tots - normally retails for around £3.99. But amid shortages it has been increased in the pharmacy to a staggering £19.99. In response Jhoots Pharmacy tweeted, "It has come to our attention that some branches have increased their prices, we
are currently investigating the matter. Meanwhile our staff are working hard to serve our communities during difficult times and putting on extra provision for free deliveries." In the meantime, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have said they are monitoring price increases in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and are ensuring that traders do not exploit the current situation.”
based at his flat in North London and had hired temporary agency staff in the past few days to attend the calls. Having sold the testing kits, the clinic passes the information against GDPR policy to intermediary in Barnsley. The efficacy of the test has yet to be approved by Public Health England. The shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, in a statement to The Times said, “This is an unprecedented public health crisis. People will be disgusted at profiteering behaviour like this. “It has to be a national priority to ramp up testing, especially for our NHS staff, and the government must stamp out this exploitative action.” The Randox tests are claimed to be the only ones in the world that “can identify the lethal Covid-19 virus and differentiate between nine other viruses with the
same symptoms”. Customers are instructed to swab their nostrils and throat, and post samples to Randox for analysis. Randox said it did not have a direct customer relationship with Ali and therefore had no control over the amount he charged. A man accused of making fake coronavirus treatment kits and trying to sell them around the world appeared before Brighton magistrates yesterday. Frank Ludlow, 59, was charged with fraud and remanded in custody.
Doctor fleeces people with Coronavirus test kits A latest report has exposed how a private doctor fleeced about £2.5m from thousands of people across the UK, on the grounds of testing for Coronavirus, profiteering about £1.7m in less than a week even as the doctor denied the profits. According to The Times, Dr Mark Ali, sold more than 6,600 coronavirus test kits for £375 each to all those who fear that they may have contracted the disease. The price is three times higherthan what his supplier, Randox Laboratories, charges the public for the same tests. The analysis work on samples is actually done by the clinical diagnostic company in Crumlin, Northern Ireland, which offers the test to the public at £120 only. Dr. Ali offers the tests through his company, Private Harley Street Clinic Limited, which, is actually
Mosques suspend Friday prayers On Friday 20th March hundreds of mosques suspended congregational activities as the death toll in London jumped to 177 with a record increase of 40 new deaths on a day-to-day basis. Ahead of Friday congregational prayers, over 375 mosques, community centres and prayer facilities in the UK confirmed the suspension of congregational prayers especially when Iranians ignored official Government warnings and congregated in Iran to celebrate their new year. Some of the mosques following this lockdown in the UK include East London Mosque, which holds 7,000
worshippers, London Central Mosque which sees over 5,000 people, and Birmingham Central Mosque which regularly hosts over 2,500 people on Fridays. Earlier on Monday 16th March the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) had called for a similar suspension in conjunction with expert medical advice provided by the British Islamic Medical Association and theological justification provided by a number of Muslim scholars, consulted through the British Board of Scholars and Imams. Harun Khan, Secretary General of the MCB said, “Safeguarding all of our communities is paramount, and it’s reassuring so
many mosques and prayer facilities have heeded this advice in trying their best to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. “Crowds at mosques draw the elderly, vulnerable and those who are high risk. With the increasing rate of transmission and the number of deaths, for the safety of our families, our communities and society, we cannot afford to take any risks. “We all have an Islamic and public duty to protect one another from harm, and I hope the remaining mosques, Islamic centres and prayer facilities across the UK take this extraordinary step in these unprecedented times and suspend all congregational activities.”
Dr Mark Ali