MRP Violations Of Essential Drugs In Hyderabad Under The Radar

HYDERABAD: The Legal Metrology Department has been keeping a close eye on medical distributors and traders in the State selling life-saving drugs at prices higher than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) as the Covid-19 second wave has caused a shortage of medicines and health monitoring equipment.

The MRP of pulse oximeters and thermometers has doubled as a result of the increased demand. Due to a shortage of devices and medicines in the market, traders are demanding more than the MRP. A standard pulse oximeter costs about Rs 1,200, but after the second wave, prices have skyrocketed to Rs 3,000. Prices of other health monitoring devices have also gone up, according to T Ranjith Kumar, manager of a medical store in the area.

The department has set up a task force and has been conducting surprise inspections of shops, as directed by Controller of Legal Metrology V Anil Kumar, who is also the Civil Supplies Department Commissioner.  Traders selling N95 masks, thermometers, and pulse oximeters with fake labels were discovered during their inspections.

"A team of officials from the Legal Metrology, Drug Inspection, Police and Civil Supplies Departments, headed by the Chief Rationing Officer, have been conducting raids on medical stores. The government has taken a serious view against the menace of increasing prices and has asked officials to send a daily report, with photographs, on the raids," according to a Legal Metrology Department official. He also mentioned that they had filed charges against a number of businesses in the area.