Latest news with #JanAushadhiScheme
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
BJP protest condemning bid to close Jan Aushadhi Kendras in govt. hospital premises
Condemning the State government's decision to close the Jan Aushadhi Kendras functioning within the district hospitals across Karnataka, the Kalaburagi district unit of BJP staged a protest in front of the District General Hospital here on Friday. The BJP leaders including Chincholi MLA Avinash Jadhav, B.G Patil and Shashil G. Namoshi, MLCs, party's district (rural unit) president Ashok Bagli, party's (urban unit) president Chandrakant Patil, and party workers tied black ribbon on their arms and staged a silent protest near the main gate of the government hospital. The Jan Aushadhi Scheme, launched by the Central government, aims to provide quality medicines at affordable prices; the State government's move to closure of these medicine centres is being seen as potentially beneficial to private pharmaceutical companies. The agitators also displayed placards accusing the State government for closing down Jan Aushadhi Kendras, which are indeed a boon for poor patients. Mr. Namoshi alleged that government hospitals struggle with ensuring the availability of free medicines, forcing the patients to purchase them out-of-pocket. In such conditions, closure of these centres –offering affordable medicines at low cost, would affect the poor classes who depend on the scheme for low-cost healthcare facilities. He also questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, about what forced the ruling government to take such a decision against Jan Aushadhi Kendras. They also urged Siddaramaiah-led government to reconsider and withdraw the order in the interest of the common public.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Government gives the nod for setting up ‘Jan Aushadi Kendras' at all GGHs in Andhra Pradesh
In a bid to check the retailers' exploitation of consumers and ensure availability of generic medicines at affordable prices, Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Y. Satya Kumar Yadav has approved the setting up of Jan Aushadi Kendras at all the 17 Government General Hospitals (GGHs) in the State. These Jan Aushadi Kendras will be run by the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) headed by the District Collectors. According to an official release, Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav approved the proposal during a review meeting on Saturday, and also directed the officials to explore the possibility of opening such kendras at the district and area hospitals as well. Fleecing of patients The decision was taken after it came to the officials' notice that the existing operators of generic medical shops at the GGHs were charging a profit margin of anywhere between 50% and 600%. While these stores were at first allocated to the self-help groups and other societies, it was found that private individuals were running them to extract profits. At present, 23 generic medicine stores were functioning at the 16 GGHs, except at the Nandyal GGH. The release said the manufacturers print higher than the original MRP, against which the retailers were offering different discounts at different places on different medicines, and in the process were making huge profits, whose margin was anywhere between 50% and 600%. The officials also noted that the retailers were not storing all the required drugs, and that they make available only 30-40% of these, forcing the patient to shift to branded drugs, which happen to be pricier. The absence of a compulsory billing system was also leading to sale of medicines for higher profits. Launched in 2008 as Jan Aushadhi Scheme by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, the now-renamed 'Pradhan Mantri- Bharatiya Jan Aushadi Pariyojana' (PM-BJP) enables supply of quality generic drugs at affordable prices to the patients across the country. Under the scheme, the Department of Pharmaceuticals procures generic drugs with standard MRP, printed for supplying to the Jan Aushadi shops, which in turn sell them with only 15% profit margin. Every sale is to be recorded on the special software developed by the Central government that prevents malpractices. The Jan Aushadi stores sell only generic medicines, and if the same is not available for a particular disease, they sell branded ones, after approval from the authorities.
