In January 2022, Gurugram resident Rajni Sahdev, 63, underwent a bypass surgery. While her heart is healthier now, it sinks every time she sees her medical bill. “Her medicines cost between ₹2,500 and ₹2,800 per month,” says son Manish, an HR professional. “There cannot be any compromise in matters of health, but the cost of medicines seems like a burden at times.”
Running out of funds every month is a constant worry for Manish, 35, as he juggles several responsibilities including taking care of his two-year-old son. “Everything is getting expensive,” he says. “My mother needs to undergo a knee replacement surgery as well, but since the costs involved are too high, we are not rushing into it. We don’t know when we will be able to get the procedure done.”
Rajni’s current prescription includes Udiliv, Bemdac and Roseday 10 to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, Emildap to control high blood sugar and Razo to relieve acidity. None of these falls under the Union health ministry’s list of essential medicines, the prices of which are regulated by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The World Health Organization (WHO) has a list of essential medicines to meet health care needs around the world. Likewise, the NPPA, which comes under the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, too, has a national list of essential medicines (NLEM). The NPPA caps the ceiling price of essential medicines under schedule I of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013. The DPCO provides for an annual hike in drug prices based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which represents the price of goods sold in bulk by trade organisations and is used as a measure of inflation in some countries.
This story is from the May 07, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 07, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
