BENGALURU: Vasanthnagar 8th Main Road wears an empty look these days. Nicknamed ‘Loafers Lane’ by the youngsters who reside in PGs there, or study at Mount Carmel College, the street is always abuzz with activity. While most businesses have shut shop, Prasad BV continues to report to work every day. “What else can I do?,” asks the 55-year-old owner of Murthy Medicals. “My business is an essential service and this is my time to serve my country,” he adds.
Prasad’s routine doesn’t see much of a change with the lockdown. Like all other days in the pharmacy’s 35-year existence, the shutters go up at 9.30am and come down at 10pm, with a two-hour break in between. While earlier Sundays used to be a half day, it’s not the case anymore. “I usually give my staff a break so I’m a one-man army during such times,” he says.
With a job that requires him to interact and exchange hands with many, it’s not surprising that Prasad harbours worries about catching the virus. The concern is shared by his family members – his wife and 21-year-old son – whose fears were put to rest when Prasad assured them of the safety precautions he was taking. “My staff and I wear a mask and gloves and maintain distance from our customers,” he says.
On a regular day, Prasad deals with 50-60 customers, but last week, the numbers started to touch 100. “Some people were starting to stock up for as much as three months of medicine. At one point, everyone was rushing to buy Hydroxychloroquine, because there were speculations that it could help treat COVID-19. But I didn’t want to risk my customers’ lives so I started insisting on a prescription for it,” he says, adding that this week, the panic seems to have subsided.
Prasad now has more free time on his hands, with only customers looking for emergency medicines stopping by. The empty hours are usually spent checking the expiry of his stock (a ledger neatly maintains the date of manufacture and expiry for the 80-90 brands of medicine he retails) or in cleaning all the shelves of the store. “Just like our country’s Prime Minister, I will also keep working through this pandemic. You don’t get such chances to serve your countrymen.”