Harish Rao hits out at Centre for raising prices of medicines

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday lashed out at the Centre for increasing the prices of medicines and questioned whether this was 'the real Amritkaal by the BJP government'. Rao said it was outrageous that the Centre has decided to increase the prices of life saving medicines by 12 per cent. It is an act of taking away healthcare from the poor and middle class sections.

If the prices of more than 800 essential medicines such as pain killers, antibiotics, anti-infective medicines are increased along with those used in the treatment of fever, infections, BP, skin diseases, anaemia, it will be a burden on the poor and middle class people, he said.

The minister accused the BJP government of working to trouble the common man. The government, which has been increasing prices of petrol, diesel and gas every time it gets a chance, is now ready to hike prices of life-saving medicines. "This is extremely painful and a wicked act", alleged Rao, questioning whether this was Amritkaal the BJP is talking about.