Mysore/Mysuru: With the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) giving a Nationwide Bandh call on May 20, the Mysuru City and District Retail Chemists Association (MCDRCA) has said that it will extend moral support to the strike by wearing black ribbons.

Addressing a press meet here yesterday, MCDRCA President M. Raju said that the bandh is being observed in protest against unregulated functioning of online medicine sales platforms and deep discounting practises adopted by e-Pharmacy companies, which has severely hurt the business of Pharmacists who have set shops investing lakhs of rupees.

Maintaining that traditional Pharmacies have been providing services round-the-clock, he said that unhealthy business practises have badly hit their lives.

Association office-bearers S. Devaraj, C.K. Arun, Mansoor Ahmed Khan, S. Umesh and H.V. Chandrashekar were present at the press meet.

Health Minister’s appeal

Meanwhile, State Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao has appealed Pharmacists not to take part in the strike.

After a meeting with Health Department officials at Bengaluru, he asked them to  ensure that all Pharmacies attached to Hospitals  function as usual and also to see that there is no shortage of medicines and drugs.