[india-drug] Boycott of Drug Major: Lacklustre response from docs (2)

["O'Brien Bone & Joint Centre" <obrienbjc@gmail.com>]

Boycott of Drug Major: Lacklustre response from docs (2)
*******************************************************

The internet petition for boycotting novartis does not seem to be working. only the 1st site is opening, but the links to the petition and many other pages are not going through.

"If anyone wants to add their opinion and support the campaign just log onto www.novartisboycott.org and leave the comments.
http://novartisboycott.org/petition";

Please set it right soon. Is there any latest news on the review petition. There was case filed by natco, opposing the unusual relaxation given to Novartis in allowing the technical member Mr Chandrasekaran, not to be present for this hearing by the IPAB.

Thank you so much for all your hard work to help patients all over India. In fact, actions like this, are also helping poor patients all over the world, and I do wish we doctors and porfessionals, become more active and help the underdogs, the less privileged in society,
and make a difference. It is only befitting if we do this as India is the "Pharma  Manufacturer to the Whole World".
Many leading service organisations like Oxfam, Medicines Sans Frontieres, and others source billions of dollars of medicines for fighting diseases across whole continents like Africa, which does not have the sophistication and capability to produce medicines like we do in India. We in India are so lucky to have throwaway prices for most medicines, due to our wonderful Process Patent regime, which sadly has been thrown away without any opposition by enlightened professionals like us, mainly because many of us too did not know that for example, ranitidine costs 4 times as much in poor neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Burma, not to talk of the cost being 10 times or more in
the USA. At least, we can follow the example of Thailand, and start issuing many more Compulsory Licences, and make drugs cheaper at least for the poor patients in our community. Please let us at the very least initiate a discussion on other ways to do this, like the innovative Sen Sanders proposal to reduce drug costs. Many people across the
world in developed countries are working hard to find ways of helping the poor in countries like ours, and we do not even have a discussion going on as to how to make a change for the better from this draconian new patent law.

with warm regards and wishes
Rtn Dr NV Girish Kumar
MBBS Dortho FRCS(Ire) FRCS(Trauma & Ortho)
O'Brien Bone & Joint Clinic
Coimbatore - 641002
Secretary, Indian Medical Association, Coimbatore branch, 2007-8
Trustee, IMA Masonic Mahaveers Rotary Midtown Blood Bank