RANCHI: Taking a giant leap in health care, 700 Abua Medical Stores will be opened across Jharkhand to make free medicines available to the poor.
Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari revealed this ambitious move, aiming to provide free medicines to economically weaker sections, significantly boosting accessibility and affordability of healthcare for the poor.
According to Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has directed the opening of Abua Medical Stores across the State, so that free medicines could be made available to the poor.
“700 stores will be opened in the first phase, which will be increased further in the next phase,” said Ansari.
Ansari said that the Chief Minister has clearly stated that the priority of the government is that medicines should reach the remote areas of the State and no poor person should die due to lack of treatment.
The minister said this on Monday after meeting the Chief Minister Hemant Soren for a review meeting over the preparations for the nationwide ‘Healthy Women–Empowered Families’ campaign, which will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Indore on September 17.
In Jharkhand, the campaign will be observed until October 2 with health camps at the panchayat, block and medical college levels.
Praising the visionary thinking of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Ansari said that this scheme will strengthen the poor and no one will die due to lack of medicine.
He termed this initiative as an important step towards the empowerment of the poor and needy families. Officials in the Health Department informed that the Abua Medical Stores will function in a manner similar to the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, but with a crucial difference.
“While Jan Aushadhi outlets offer low-cost generic medicines, the state’s new medical stores will provide essential drugs completely free of charge,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.
The Health Department will handle procurement centrally, with supplies then channelled through district warehouses to ensure quality and an uninterrupted stock, he added.
These stores will stock medicines for common ailments such as fever, infections, diabetes, hypertension and maternal health, along with essential life-saving drugs. These stores will be located near government hospitals, community health centres and even in rural panchayats to ensure last-mile delivery.
Digital monitoring systems is also being considered to track inventory and prevent shortages. The government expects that the scheme will significantly reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses for families living below the poverty line and reinforce public trust in the state’s healthcare system.
By offering medicines free of cost, Jharkhand aims to remove even that barrier for its most vulnerable citizens.
Earlier on Tuesday, speaking at a function held at the Institute of Public Health in Namkum, Ansari had announced a game-changing healthcare overhaul for the State, unveiling plans for a cutting-edge 2,100-bed super-speciality kidney hospital and six new medical colleges.
According to the minister, these projects, along with other reforms, would transform the state’s medical landscape within the next two years.