NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said about 241 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have opened Jan Aushadi Kendras across the country which will ensure rural poor and farmers can avail the benefit of generic medicines at affordable rates.
So far, the government's Jan Aushadi Kendras have been largely opened in cities benefiting the urban poor.
Now this benefit is being extended to the rural poor, he said at the national mega conclave on PACS as Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
"In the last six months, 4,470 applications from PACS were received. Out of these, in-principle approval has been given to 2,373 PACS. Around 241 of them have started operating Jan Aushadi Kendras," Shah said.
Shah said the Narendra Modi government has streamlined Jan Aushadi Kendras to ensure the poor get medicines at 8-30 per cent of the cost.
This has helped improve the health of the poor who have been able to save an estimated Rs 26,000 crore on medicine in the last nine years, he added.
“The Union government has substantially reduced over-the-counter cost of buying medicines by expanding the network of Jan Aushadhi Kendras and ensuring the availability of diverse high-quality medicines in these centers,” he said.
“Generic medicines are available at 50-90% of market prices at these Kendras, ensuring affordable healthcare,” he added.
Citing examples, he said cancer medicines, which cost about Rs 2,250 in the open market, are sold at Rs 250. Even rural girls can buy sanitary napkins at Rs 1 from these Kendras, he added.
“Medicines for dialysis that cost Rs. 65 are available for only Rs. 5 in Jan Aushadhi Kendras,” he added.
Speaking at the occasion, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that in the first phase, 2,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are planned to be opened through PACS.
He said that opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras through PACS would strengthen PACS as a cooperative organisation besides expanding the reach of quality and affordable medicines in the country.
More than 10,500 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are operating in the country which is providing more than 1,965 high-quality medicines and 293 surgical and other products at 50 to 90 percent of the cost of branded medicines available in the market.