The Weekly Observer Volume 18 Issue 4

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The Observer An IIJNM publication

Road accidents on the increase in K R Puram in spite of B-TRAC | P 2

Vol 18, Issue 4 Tuesday, September 19, 2018

Take 6 months to reach us, say managers Sahana S

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Generic medicines are missing from the Jan Aushadi store at N R Colony |. Credit: Sahana S blamed the lack of supply on bulk orders and transport issues. Venkatesh.R, the store manager at Mahalakshmi Layout, said that they have 300 to 400 generic tablets to treat hypertension, diabetes and cancer, but medicines like Glimepiride, Glarzine, and Imatanib are in short supply because they take six months to be delivered.

The stores at Tata Silk Farm, NR Colony, JP Nagar, Yelahanka, Rajarajeshwarinagar and Mallathalli face the same problem. Vinutha Mohan, manager at Tata Silk Farm, said while general medicines like paracetamol, antibiotics and cholesterol tablets are available, drugs like Glimepiride will be replenished within 15 days.

While at Rajarajeshwarinagar there is no insulin, there is a scarcity of hypertension and diabetes medicines in JP Nagar, according to store managers Sunil HR and K Hemanthkumar. Matters have improved, though, at Mallathalli after an initial shortage of drugs, store manager Satyanarayana S said. Supervisor Chintamani Prasad at NR Colony blamed inadequate production and patent issues for non-availability of tablets like human insulin, and Basalog Injection. The store managers ask customers to come a week later. Phanindra C, an officer at Canara Bank, told The Observer: “I came to buy first aid kits and regular medicines like Axcer tablet. They keep on postponing.” Many customers said the stores must display lists of unavailable medicines, so that they can go elsewhere to buy the drugs. Retired health department official Mokashi .Vsaid: “I prefer Jan Aushadhi stores to normal drug stores, but most drugs like paracetamol are unavailable, and they don’t even put up a list of unavailable medicines.” Homemaker Sharadha.R is a regular visitor to the Jan Aushadhi store at Mahalakshmi Layout. She buys most of her requirements from the outlet. Despite shortages, people like her still flock to the kendras because medicines are cheaper there. sahana.s@iijnm.org

BMTC conductors are disappointed with low salaries Shashank Dipankar

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MTC bus conductors are dissatisfied with their salary as they feel it does not match their hard work. ‘’My insufficient salary created several problems in looking after my family of four. Conductors of private bus companies have better salaries and perks than us,” said Narendra K, a BMTC bus conductor. To earn more, the conductors work irregular shifts and sometimes more than 12 hours a day.

“Life outside is hard.Sometimes I don’t get time for my family,” said Nagaraj a BMTC conductor. The conductors are also dissatisfied with the BMTC for not revamping the system; they still follow a 30-years-old framework. “Conductors get forms which have details of buses and routes and the number of kilometres each bus needs to travel.These have not been updated for 30 years. Many places have changed with time, so we face problems,” said conductor Basawaraj M. Expensive healthcare is an-

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Pourakarmikas demand BBMP should fine those who don’t segregate | P3

Many generic medicines go off shelves at Jan Aushadhi stores an Aushadhi stores, opened under a central government scheme, are facing a shortage of diabetes, hypertension, and cancer drugs. Though there is a huge demand, multiple issues have kept these medicines off the shelves. “This is my first visit to the store. Though rates are less here, tenoretric (used to treat hypertension) is not available,” Geetha KC, a a resident of NR Colony, informed The Observer. The Jan Aushadhi Kendras were established to provide quality generic medicines to the poor cheaper than at drug stores. Out of the 35 Kendras in Bengaluru, at least seven don’t have these drugs. According to the website www.medicine.net, generic drugs are copies of brand-name drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use, effects, side-effects, route of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug. When The Observer contacted the Jan Aushadhi stores at Mahalakshmi Layout, Tata Silk Farm, NR Colony, JP Nagar, Yelahanka, Rajarajeshwarinagar and Mallathalli, the managers

The Observer

other issue. “If one member of my family gets sick, a huge amount of my salary is used up there, and I face monetary problems. They should at least give us a health cover,” said conductor Manjunath. The increments they get are irregular and delayed for 3-4 years.“If there is a mismatch between the number of tickets and passengers, they not only penalise us but also withhold our increments,” added Basawaraj M. “The cost of everyday items has gone up, but our salaries hasnt”

added Ajay, another conductor. K.R Vishwanath, chief traffic manager (operation) BMTC said, “We have a difference of Rs 30 cr between revenue and expenditure. We can’t afford to pay more salaries to our employees. Who will pay for the hike? No one is satisfied with their salaries in BMTC.” The last salary hike of 8% was in 2016, which was raised up to 12.5%after protest, but it was still less than the hike of 33% in 2003. shashank.d@iijnm.org

News Briefs Karnataka: Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy rolls back bus fare hike announced by the government road transport corporations. (TOI) National: Supreme Court indicates it may quash the case against five activists and set up a special team to probe the crackdown by Maharashtra police against them for their alleged role in the Bhima-Koregaon violence last year. (DH) •Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu meets external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and seeks her help to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan for opening up the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. •In the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the victims’ relatives have opposed the Tamil Nadu government’s move to release the convicts. International: British Prime Minister Theresa May says EU and non-EU nationals will have the same immigration rights after Brexit. (The Hindu) Business: Finance minister Arun Jaitley says Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank will be merged to form India’s third largest lender. Employees’ job will be protected and service conditions won’t be diluted. (TOI) •Gujarat HC strikes down a GST provision as unconstitutional. Sports: Sri Lanka knocked out of Asia Cup 2018, beaten by Afganistan by 91 runs. (The New Indian Express)

City Weather Forecast: Generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers Maximum temperature: 28 degrees Celsius Minimum Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius Rainfall: 10.5 mm Realtive humidity at 0830 hours: 88%


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