Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) saline prices have hiked up suddenly.
A few days ago all brands of saline including the largest producer Social Marketing Company (SMC)’s saline sachets were sold at Tk4 each. Now they are being sold at Tk6 each. Pharmaceutical companies and drug authorities are blaming retailers for the hike.
Diarrhoea outbreaks and heat strokes in summer push up the demand for all types of oral saline. ICDDR,B Hospital said in the last 24 hours about 443 patients were admitted to their hospital. National Crisis Management Center at the Directorate General of Health Services said about 50,000 people suffered from diarrhoeal diseases last month.
Zafrullah Chowdhury, founder of the health sector NGO Gonoshastha Kendra, said it was very unfortunate that saline is sold at Tk6. He said the mortality rate of diarrhoeal patients is under control in the country but the number of total affected patients is increasing day by day.
“The government should intervene to bring ORS within people’s purchasing power,” he remarked.
A field level official of SMC told this correspondent that his company did not raise the price of saline. “May be the pharmacies are selling at a higher price as there is high demand at this time but not enough supply,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
Arif Ahmed, owner of Tahsin Pharmacy in New Market, told this correspondent that demand for saline had increased a lot but the supply had not, so they have raised the price to Tk6.
Golam Kibria, a director of the Directorate of Drug Administration said SMC’s saline sachets were priced at Tk4.43 including VAT in 2011. Since then the company has not applied for raising the price. Kibria also assumed that drug retailers were to be blamed for the hike.
SMC’s website says the company sells ORSaline - N for MRP Tk4.58 and ORSaline - Fruity for MRP Tk5.