Coronavirus outbreak: Traders seek Army help to distribute medicines

With chemists on the brink of running dry, Centre gets on a war footing

With the country fearing stock-out of medicines at a retailer level, the central government is taking steps to ensure supplies reach the last mile. Chemists associations have already suggested that help from the Indian Army be taken to despatch medicines to stockists and retailers in North India.

Top government officials and industry associations have joined social media groups to monitor the situation closely and take swift remedial action.

Jagannath Shinde, president of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) — a body that represents 850,000 chemists across India — said the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh is