Medical stores and pharmacies have created an artificial shortage of the strips meant for checking the diabetes with small machines among the people while the pharmaceutical companies have also increased the prices of these strips to 40 percent in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils. Due to which the people especially the diabetics and their dependents were suffering from great difficulties due to non-availability of the strips especially at Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital and Govt Sardar Begum Memorial Teaching Hospital Sialkot. The medical stores and pharmacies owners said that the pharmaceutical companies have 40 percent increased these prices of the strips to Rs 700 per pack containing 25 strips from Rs 500. Due to which there was shortage of these strips in Sialkot district. People have expressed grave concerns over this increase. They have urged the government to look into this matter in the larger public interest. They have strongly protested in this regard.