British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 1032. Chapter XXVI: War Economic Measures: Section 4: War Time Economic Control: (h) Control of Medical Supplies in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba)

CHAPTER XXVI.

(h) Control of Medical Supplies.

135. The system of control and pricing of medical supplies had its beginning in October, 1938, when a committee under the chairmanship of the Director of Medical Services was appointed to examine the problem of maintaining supplies of food and other essential commodities in the event of war. The Director of Medical Services was later appointed as Controller of Supplies, and emergency legislation was drawn up in readiness for enactment at short notice. A week before the outbreak of war this draft legislation was enacted as the Essential Commodities (Reserves) Ordinance and the Food and Essential Commodities (Control) Ordinance.

136. In September. 1939, an Order* was made by the High Commissioner under the last-named Ordinance declaring that all medical supplies were controlled commodities. On the 13th September, 1939, and the 2nd October, 1939, Orders were published prohibiting wholesale and retail trade in medical supplies without an appropriate licence. The medical supplies covered by these orders include :-

(a) drugs, surgical dressings and pharmaceutical products, (b) medical, surgical and dental appliances, and

(c) dental supplies.

137. In order to check the wave of overbuying produced by the outbreak of war, and to stabilize prices, all wholesale drug stores were closed for a period of about three weeks. During this period wholesalers were required to declare their stocks and the selling price of each commodity prevailing at the time.

138. Following these measures licences were issued to all dealers in medical supplies, each licence having attached to it a set. of special conditions of trade together with a schedule of maximum wholesale prices. These special conditions and the schedule of maximum wholesale prices have continued to be the principal instruments of control up to the present time.

139. The special conditions attached to licences may be summarised as follows :-

(a) Maintenance and inspection of specified records. (b) Manner and place of storage of medical supplies.

(c) Establishment of wholesale and retail prices, and the fixing of price labels on proprietary medicines and packed preparations.
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* Laws of 1939, Vol. ill1 page 814.

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