Mamata writes to PM, urges roll back of 50% medicine price hike

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Monday, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging reconsideration of the price of medicines used for treating “various life-threatening diseases” in the backdrop of the Centre’s “escalation” of the prices of such medicines by nearly 50 per cent.

Banerjee highlighted the critical importance of these drugs for treating life-threatening conditions such as tuberculosis, asthma and thalassemia, and called the price escalation a direct blow to the welfare of the common people.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) recently approved a 50 per cent hike in the ceiling prices of 11 scheduled formulations of eight drugs, most of which are low-cost and commonly used for treating asthma, glaucoma, thalassemia, tuberculosis, and mental health disorders.

In her two-page letter, Banerjee emphasised that “the welfare of the citizens is of paramount importance,” and stressed upon the need for all stakeholders to align their policies to reflect this commitment.

“I urge upon your kind office to issue directions to the concerned ministry to immediately reconsider the decision on the price escalation in the overall interest of the health and wellbeing of the common people,” Banerjee wrote to Modi.

“Perhaps, our aim ought to be preserving a balanced approach that respects both commercial viability and the citizen’s right to affordable healthcare. The welfare of the citizens is of paramount importance, and it is critical that all the stakeholders align the policies to reflect this commitment. Looking forward to your urgent and kind consideration,” she added.

According to Banerjee, the “escalation” would cause an “overwhelming” strain on the budgets of states like Bengal that provide drugs and treatment to patients “free of cost”. “It disrupts the accessibility of indispensable treatments, potentially hindering public health outcomes and increasing the burden on healthcare systems,” she wrote.

Banerjee further stated in her letter that only a few months back, the NPPA had “upwardly” revised the prices of essential medicines/formulations for treatment of diabetes, blood pressure and antibiotics, etc.

“It is needless to mention that such sudden and abrupt price escalation will inflict a serious hardship upon the common people who are already overburdened with the pains of treatment of the critical diseases of their near and dear ones,” Banerjee wrote.

Common people, she reiterated, who are “already reeling under the adverse effects of high prices of day-to-day consumables and associated requirements of life and livelihood”, would suffer a “serious blow… hence (this) should be avoided to the extent possible, “ she wrote.