Pharm D students’ protest intensifies

Hanamkonda: The agitation by students studying six-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pham D) course demanding the State government to create clinical pharmacist cadre is getting intensified.

It may be noted that the students under the aegis of Pharm D Doctors Welfare Association have been staging relay hunger strike at Ekasila Park in Hanamkonda for the past 11 days. On Tuesday, the protesting students have taken out a massive protest rally displaying placards and shouting slogans from the park to Ambedkar centre where they staged a demonstration in support of the demand.  

The District Congress President N Rajender Reddy, city Congress President K Srinivas Rao, All India Professional Congress District President Dr Y Anil Kumar, BC-JAC State Chairman T Sheshu and CITU leader V Sarangapani extending solidarity to the students took part in the agitation.

Speaking to the press, the Congress leader Rajender Reddy demanded the government to address the Pharma D student’s issues and pay attention to create clinical pharmacist cadre to accommodate them in it. He also demanded the government to ensure the better medical services to the poor. 

“There is a need to create the cadre and make use of services of Pham D graduates who are acquiring drug dispensing knowledge equivalent to doctors who completes MD course,” said Congress leader. Many government hospitals in the State are facing shortage of pharmacists and doctors as well. To address the problems and for effective implementation of Arogya Sri programme the government must utilise the services of Pharm D graduates, he suggested.

Pharm D Doctors Welfare Association Warangal District President P Surya Teja and its State Secretary Koushik noted that as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines every government hospital must consist of a clinical pharmacist wing.

Recognising importance of clinical pharmacist corporate hospitals are appointing Pharm D doctors. The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) introduced the course in 2008 but failed to direct State and Central governments to act in that direction, they said. The State government violated the PCI norms in giving permission to colleges in offering six-year Pharm D course which is being offered at 65 colleges in Telangana State. The lack of a separate clinical pharmacist cadre had become a bane for the graduates pursuing the course, they added.

Meanwhile, Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) Warangal city President Syed Ahmed Ali and its secretary Md Firdose Ali have also extended their support to the Pharm D students protests and wanted government to address their issue forthwith.