Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories chairman K. Satish Reddy on Thursday expressed concern over shortage of skilled professionals in pharmaceutical companies though the industry was in a position to create jobs.
He felt universities and colleges should meet the requirements of the industry so that there would not be dearth of manpower for pharma companies.
Mr. Reddy, along with Srikakulam Collector Paturi Lakshmi Narasimham, inaugurated the Community Health Intervention Programme (CHIP) in Sancham near Pydibhimavaram of Srikakulam district.
Pharma hub
Speaking to reporters later, he urged the government to bridge the gap between academic studies and industry requirements. He hoped Visakhapatnam would soon become a major pharma hub, as several industries had come up there. “Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory will expand its activities in AP, and our unit is going to come up in the SEZ. We need only skilled and talented youngsters. I request the government to look into the curriculum of pharma courses so that candidates can easily understand the work after joining various positions,” Mr. Reddy said.
“We have 25 years of attachment with Srikakulam district. We will take up more charitable activities in the fields of education and health,” he added.
Earlier, the Collector suggested that the company allocate more funds for CSR activities while discussing issues such as kidney ailments in the Uddanam region, shortage of drinking water and poor medical and health services in several villages. “The allocation of funds for CSR activities should be more in accordance with the company’s high profile. It should confine to the statutory limits, since people from backward regions have high hopes on Reddy’s Laboratory,” said Mr. Lakshmi Narasimham.
NICE Foundation head M. Padmanabha Reddy and vice-president V. Narayana Reddy said the company would serve 75,000 people of 34 villages by spending Rs. 3.5 crore under the CHIP initiative. The company’s Pydibhimavaram plant head K.V.S.N. Raju said ambulances would go to villages along with medical teams to serve patients.
