A doctors’ body in Kashmir on Friday sought GST exemption on medicines that they said would bring huge relief to patients.
President Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Dr Nisar ul Hassan, in a statement today, said that GST exemption would keep medicines within the reach of poor.
He said that the tax waiver would help in reducing prices of the medicines and make them affordable to poor patients.
GST is the single tax on the supply of goods and services that has replaced the indirect taxes levied by the central and state governments.
The government has levied 12 percent GST on all drugs, except essential ones.
With the implementation of GST, the prices of majority of essential drugs will increase by 2.29%, he said.
“Until now, life-saving drugs that treat diseases like Malaria, HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and Diabetes had been exempted from excise duties and only a few states charged 5% tax on them, but GST has now slotted them compulsorily under the 5% slab,” said Dr Hassan.
In JK, 21.63% population, comprising of 24.21 lakh people do not have access to medicines due to lack of purchasing power, he said.
“Majority of cancer patients die for want of treatment because they cannot afford costly anti-cancer drugs.
“Also, the high cost of medicines contributes to non-adherence of long term essential therapies for patients with diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular ailments,” said Dr Hassan.
