Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday urged the Union government to safeguard career of over 20,000 medical assistants of J&K by bringing them within the ambit of Central Pharmacy Act.
In a statement, Bukhari said the medical assistants of Jammu and Kashmir also fulfill the eligibility criteria for availing a pharmacy license or applying for any government job exclusively meant for diploma or degree holders in pharmacy.
“Around 20,000 medical assistants in J&K are well trained in pharmacy and were eligible for pharmacy licenses under JK Pharmacy Act prior to 4 August 2019, but have now unfortunately been excluded by the Pharmacy Council of India. This is a sheer discrimination with this bright and promising lot of professionals,” Bukhari said.
He said there seems to be no rationale behind exclusion of medical assistants from Central Pharmacy law which was made applicable to J&K after October 2019.
“Discrimination with medical assistants who have completed their three years courses (including one year of training) duly recognized under JK Pharmacy Act is unjustifiable and the issue needs to be addressed on a priority basis,” Bukhari advocated.
He said by widening the ambit of Central Pharmacy Act and making it genuinely inclusive shall dispel the notion of unfairness and injustice felt by J&K youth.
The JKAP President said restricting issuance of pharmacy licenses to aspirants having B Pharma and D Pharma has jeopardized career of thousands of medical assistants who have studied the subject with the same syllabus in government recognized institutes across J&K.
Bukhari expressed concern over the reports that despite being ineligible for pharmacy licenses and government jobs as per the Central Pharmacy Act, the government colleges in J&K were granting admissions to the students for medical assistant courses.