Chemists and drug retailers in the capital today staged protests and downed their shutters, barring those at hospitals and nursing homes, against the "unjustified" policies of the government.
Retailers and Distributors Chemist Association (RDCA) president Sandeep Nangia claimed they had "widespread support" to the call of strike as around 9,000 chemists joined the protest in the national capital.
"Almost 100 per cent medical stores in the city, barring those inside hospitals and nursing homes remain closed," he claimed.
Nangia said shops around AIIMS and Safdarjung hospital were kept out of the strike as major operations and critical patients are lined up there.
"The bandh call was very successful as the issue was directly related to every retailer," he said.
Scores of chemists also gathered at Jantar Mantar and staged a protest here in support of their demand.
The strike was called by RDCA against the "unjustified policies" of the government.
The association have several demands, which include maintenance of trade margins of medicines and not to reduce it in the forth-coming Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013 considering the rising operational costs.
