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Ludhiana residents send medicines to loved ones via post
With train and bus services shut, the postal department is primarily relying on its own Mail Motor Services (MMS) for carrying out delivery services within the state and in adjacent states while airlines are being used to deliver parcels in the metros
The lockdown has led to the non-availability of some medicines in certain places, as such many people are now using the services of the postal department to ensure that their loved ones get the medicine they need.
The shortage is more acute in big cities where the demand is more. People getting treated in a different city are stranded and dependant on relatives for medicines.
Rajguru Nagar branch sub-post office master Sarita Madaan said the branch had booked 85 parcels of medicine since the lockdown. “Before the lockdown, we rarely received bookings for medicines as people mainly relied on private courier companies but now we deliver medicines on a regular basis. People have medicines delivered within the state and to neighbouring states.”
She said the branch is receiving parcel bookings for Hoshiarpur, Banga, Chandigarh, Kharar, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur Cantonment and Moga.
“Today, a woman whose son works in Chandigarh, requested that her package containing medicines be delivered urgently. She said her son was being treated by a doctor in Ludhiana and was unable to get the prescribed medicines in the UT,” she said.
Ludhiana senior superintendent of post office Amanpreet Singh said in a day, the Ludhiana post circle, which covers 45 post offices in urban areas and 11 branch offices (BO) that in turn cater to 85 villages, on an average receive 120 medicine parcels for delivery.
“We are priortising the delivery of medicines that are separately packaged and sorted at the National Sorting Hub office based at the Ludhiana railway station. The hub receives mail from 11 districts,” said Amanpreet.
Amid the lockdown, all branches under the Head Post Office, Ludhiana, are only accepting booking to cities and towns in Punjab, neighbouring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and the five metros of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.
With trains and buses shut, the postal department is primarily relying on its own Mail Motor Services (MMS) for carrying out delivery services within the state and in adjacent states while airlines are being used to deliver parcels in the metros.
“The postal department tries to ensure that medicine orders within the state are delivered the very next day. For Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, it takes two to three days while for the metro cities, the parcels are delivered within the week,” he said.
The official added that the department was contacting city-based pharma companies to get consignment through India Posts since all other courier services were shut.
How to prepare a package for medicines BOX
Take a box. Line it with cotton or a newspaper. Syrup should not be in glass bottles. Cover the box with the clean white paper and clearly mention the particulars of the receiver and giver. Add mobile numbers.
