Srinagar, Nov 20: More than 50 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are expected to be opened in Jammu and Kashmir before March 2023 to provide affordable quality medicines to the people and reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.
Rifat Nazir, Nodal Officer, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), said till date a total of 234 Jan Ashudi Kendras have been established in J&K for providing affordable quality medicines to the people and reduce their out of pocket expenses.
“To further add affordable quality medicines in hospitals for the benefit of people, we will open 50 more Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
Notably, the sale of generic drugs at Jan Aushadhi Kendras across hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir has improved as compared to previous years.
As per official figures in the current financial year 2023-2024, there was a sale of generic medicines worth Rs 30.62 cores till October in Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
Rifat said there are a lot of variations of rates of medicine in the markets and with the opening of the government drug stores, people have been able to save more than Rs 183 cr in the past seven months as drugs are given to people on subsidy rates.
Apart from districts, the health department has set up the drug stores in far flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir where having medicines for patients is impossible especially in Kathua and Reasi.
“We have covered all the blocks. Today we stand in the first 10 states /UT in progress of Jan Aushadhi Kendras in all respects including sale of drugs to the people. We are ahead and we are improving further in this direction. It is a corruption-free scheme,” she said.
“We are encouraging to improve the number of private Jan Aushadhi Kendras. We provide Rs 5 lakh to the Kendras to make it viable in addition to the 20 percent margin plus other benefits,” she said.
The health department has also opened Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Kupwara near the Line of Control and in Jammu in Kathua near the LoC.
“We are focussed on the border areas so that common people can take the benefit. It is very difficult to take the medicines to the border villages,” she said.
Rifat said almost all the district hospitals, sub-district hospitals and PHCs have been covered and patients get the medicines at these stores at discount rates.
Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana campaign is a public welfare scheme of the Government of India launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through special kendras.
