Welfare of 12 crore Senior Citizens of our Country.

First International Day &7^th World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2012.

                                           (Stop Elder Abuse)

M.V.Ruparelia, A503 Rashmi Utsav, Near Jangid Estate & Vijay Park, Mira Road(East) Dist. Thane. 401107. T.No. M. 09821732855. E/Mail: mvrup@yahoo.co.in

To                                                                                        Date: 15-6-12.

Shri M.K.Alagiri,

Hon. Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers,

Department of Pharmaceuticals,

Shashtri Bhawan, A Wing, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road,

New Delhi-110001.

Dear Sir,

Sub: Welfare of 12 crore Senior Citizens of our Country.

1. National Policy of Older Persons announced by Government of India in January,1999 lays down that Health Care needs of Older Persons will be given High Priority and the Goal should be affordable health services, very heavily subsidized for poor and graded system of user charges for others. The Policy declared the Older Persons as respected Citizens requiring strengthening of their legitimate place in the Society and to take all actions to help them to live their last phase of life with Purpose, Dignity and Peace. It recognized the Older Persons as a Resource of the Country. It sought the cooperation of all government & non-governmental Organizations for this.
2. Many Senior Citizens in Our Country are poor, having no/insufficient income. Income of other Senior Citizens also has decreased due to less interest rates & inflation. As life span of Senior Citizens is increasing day by day, they have to maintain this longer life span with the help of Medicines with less income and more necessity of treatment due to natural ageing process beyond their control. Senior Citizens have done a lot for the Society in their Prime Time and Society has now to  consider some ways & means to respect and do at least something for them so that they can pass their last spell of life happily, peacefully and usefully. Justice C.S.Dharmadhikari has observed that facilities provided to aged are not by way of charity or bounty but is remuneration for their past service (to the Society).
3.  As price control of all medicines by all Pharmaceutical Companies is under your control and as making available essential medicines at reasonable prices to all segments of Society, keeping in view socio-economic conditions and declared objective of providing better health care is to be ensured by your Ministry and as Senior Citizens need more medicines due to various diseases due to ageing, which is beyond their control, we request you to consider their plight sympathetically and direct Pharmaceutical Companies to give some concession by way of 50 %(as in fare by transport, air, railways etc) in ever increasing cost of medicines to all Senior Citizens, as they need every month lot of medicines for age related chronic ailments at this age, when their income is very less or no income.Ministry of Health has advised that the provision of cheaper medicines is not their subject.
4. As per recent reports, a study by the Cost Audit branch of the MCA found that drugs like Calpol manufactured by Glaxosmithkline, Corex Cough Syrup by Pfizer, Revital by Ranbaxy Global, Omez by Dr Reddy's Labs, Azithral by Alembic and several others were being sold at a mark up of up to 1,123% over the cost of production. Worried over the findings of the study, India's Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily has written to you seeking appropriate action on curbing this practice of pharma companies. He has forwarded a copy of the study to you. As we consider you as our Minister for all our Medicine Needs, we request you to take some immediate steps to remove such abnormal costing of medicines also. Such high profit earning is nothing but ABUSE of ELDERS.
5. We shall be obliged, if our request is considered favorably and all Pharmaceutical Companies - manufacturing & distributing agencies all over India & abroad supplying medicines to India are advised to give some concessions to Senior Citizens.

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

(M.V.Ruparelia)

Copy forwarde d for necessary early action to

i)                     Shri Dilsher Singh Kalha, Secrtary, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers,

Shashtri Bhawan, A Wing, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi-110001.

ii)                  Shri Devendra Chaudhary, Joint Secrtary & Grievance Officer, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Shashtri Bhawan, A Wing, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi-110001.