The commonly used medicines like Ibrufen and Paracetamol may not be available in the Indian market after February if the disruptions due to coronavirus continue.
A media report quoted Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) as saying that a rise in the prices of pharmaceutical products is possible if the shutdown prolongs.
During the study of FICCI it also came to light that along with medicines, smartphones and solar equipment production may also suffer if the coronavirus threat is not curtailed.
The FICCI study says: “If the shutdown extends beyond February, there may be some rise in prices of pharmaceutical products made in India.”
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It has been reported that India satisfies 70 percent of its bulk drugs-related needs from China.
But following the shutdown after the coronavirus outbreak in the Wuhan city of China’s Hubei province the import of medicines from the neighbouring country has been hit.
Wuhan city is the epicenter of the coronavirus.
However, the Indian government said there is ample stock of medicines readily available and the union health ministry is working on a plan with measures to ensure that things run smoothly.
Meanwhile, over 68,500 people have been infected by the deadly virus and at least 1,669 have died worldwide, officials said.
The vast majority of cases and all but a few of the deaths have been in mainland China, with the heaviest concentration in Hubei province.
Coronavirus has claimed over 1,500 lives in China alone.
The Indian government has identified several drugs that are made of materials imported from the Chinese province of Wuhan.
The government, as per reports, has drawn an alternate plan to continue the smooth production of the medicines avoiding imports from China.