Vijayawada: Indian Medical Association (IMA) AP state chapter requested the Union government to withdraw Goods Services Tax (GST) on medicines. IMA president Dr P Gangadhara Rao and general secretary Dr K S Karuna Murthy said that the patients, including poor sections, also should bear 28 per cent extra tax on purchase of medicines with GST implementation.

Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, they requested the government not to treat medicines as normal business commodity. Initially, the doctors were not aware of the impact of GST on patients, they said and added that it was the reason now IMA was requesting the Centre after some delay to give exception to medicines. Besides, they also requested the government to consider their requests before implementation of regulation Act on health sector