Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar May 10 Suspension of air transport between China and India has caused a shortage of salts raw material for preparing medicines which in turn enhanced their prices in the domestic market. China took this measure following a surge in the Covid-19 cases in India. The biggest hike was noticed in methylprednisolone which rose from Rs 85000 to Rs 2.30 lakh within a week. The medicine is in high demand to clear the chest of Covid-19 positive patients. Rate of paracetamol hiked from Rs350 to Rs900/kg The price of paracetamol hiked from Rs350 per kg to Rs900 per kg ivermectin from Rs15000 per kg to Rs70000 per kg doxycycline from Rs6000 per kg to Rs15500 and azithromycin from Rs8500 to Rs14000 during the past some months. For instance the price of paracetamol hiked from Rs 350 per kg to Rs 900 per kg ivermectin from Rs 15000 per kg to Rs 70000 per kg doxycycline from Rs 6000 per kg to Rs 15500 and azithromycin from Rs 8500 to Rs 14000 during the past some months. There are about 30 pharmaceutical companies in the city which collectively have annual turnover between Rs 700 to Rs 800 crore. Amit Kapur general secretary of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Amritsar said a sharp rise in the prices of raw materials unnerved manufacturers. Enquiries revealed that there was a staggering rise in the rate of active pharmaceuticals ingredients (API). He demanded that the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Set up by the Ministry of Commerce) should step up efforts to restore medical supplies from China. “Chinas state-run Sichuan Airlines suspended all its cargo flights to India for 15 days from April 26 following a surge in Covid cases in India” he said. He held this trade imbalance between India and China for supplies of raw material of medicines to oversight of successive Indian governments to the pharma sector. He recalled that India used to be a world leader in production of at least API in the seventies.

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