UDUPI: Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers D V Sadananda Gowda on Sunday said the turnover of Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country is likely to reach around Rs 600 crore during 2020-21 from Rs 7.29 crore in 2013-14.
Speaking during a video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from a CHC at Brahmavara in Udupi during the Jan Aushadhi Day celebration, he said that around 1.25 crore people purchase medicines from Kendras across the country every month.
There are 7,500 centres now, up from a mere 86 in 2014, he said. All the districts have been covered under the scheme.
It was launched by the Prime Minister, as a survey in 2015 revealed that people spend 15 to 30 per cent of their annual income on medical expenses. Nearly 1.25 crore people were pushed to poverty every year because of this, he added.
Jan Aushadhi Kendras provide quality medicines at a 10-90 per cent discount. There is no need to worry about the quality of medicines as they are supplied only after a thorough quality analysis. The scheme has led to an annual savings of about `3,600 crore to the people, he said.