Odisha chemists, retailers join nationwide strike
Bhubaneswar, Sep 28: Thousands of medicine stores and retail businesses remained closed in Odisha as they joined a nationwide strike on Friday.
While the chemists are protesting against the Centre's decision to allow operation of e-pharmacies, the retailers are protesting against the approval to 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector.
Nearly 4,000 medicine wholesale points and 22,000 retail outlets across Odisha remained shut as the Utkal Chemists and Druggists Association (UCDA) extended support to the nationwide strike called by All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).
However, the drug stores inside medical colleges and government-run hospitals remain open.
"We strongly oppose the Centre's move to bring in online pharmacies. The Association will resort to an indefinite strike if the demands are not met at the earliest," UCDA General Secretary Prashant Mohapatra said.
E-pharmacy would largely affect the livelihood of lakhs of chemists' families, besides depriving people access to good quality medicines, he added.
Sudhakar Panda, President of Odisha Chapter of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said around 6.35 crore retailers across the country, including 20 lakh from Odisha, joined the strike to showcase their protests against the Centre's decision to allow FDI in the Indian market.
He said the Association demands repeal of the permission for FDI in the retail sector that will affect the livelihood of lakhs of people in the country.
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Hyderabad woman commits suicide after allegedly getting injected with HIV-infected blood by relative
Hyderabad: A 22-year-old woman committed suicide in Hyderabad about a month after a relative allegedly injected her with HIV-infected blood after she rejected a marriage proposal, police said.
The woman is identified as Ramani. She was found dead at her grandmother's home in Annojiguda on Friday morning, according to The News Minute.
According to police, the accused, a 24-year-old man related to the victim, had been in a relationship with her. Initially their families had agreed to their marriage but the proposal was later withdrawn after medical tests confirmed that the man was HIV positive.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly injected his own blood into the woman at her home on March 11, after his marriage proposal was refused. Police said he obtained a syringe and committed the act when she was alone, allegedly with the intent of forcing her into marriage.
The incident was discovered when the woman told her relatives and was sent to a medical checkup. The accused was detained in March and put in judicial prison on allegations including attempted murder.
Police said a suicide note was recovered from the scene in which the woman mentioned being distressed by the manner in which the incident was discussed on social media. Family members stated that she had been undergoing emotional distress and had developed health complications following the assault.
