Janaushadhi Kendras to be opened in Assam for poor and disadvantaged

Under this project affordable quality medicines will be provided to the people in the districts and towns of Assam.

At present, about 1500 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are providing affordable medicines to the people across the country in 426 districts of 30 states and UTs.

Only 80 centers were opened between 2008 and 2014. The target for this year is to open 3000 Jan Aushadhi Kendra by end of the year and thereby the turn over would increase to Rs 60 crore which was Rs 3 crore in the beginning of the scheme.

According to the CEO, BPPI Biplab Chatterjee, the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) under Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has sought applications for setting up of the Prime Minister Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra in Assam.

The country's apex medical regulatory body the Indian Medical Council (MCI) has issued guidelines for writing generic medicines with brand names of the medicines in legible handwriting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that there should be a law on low-cost medicines. MCI has asked doctors to follow its 2016 notification, in which it has amended Section 1.5 of the Indian Medical Council Professional Conduct, Etiquettes and Ethics Regulation 2002.

The government is also revising the national list of essential medicines 2015 so that more medicines can be included in it. The public drug program is also being expanded under which the government provides essential medicines at affordable rates.

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananth Kumar had recently said that the scheme is creating a silent revolution in achieving health security to all by providing affordable, quality medicines.

Pharma sector is growing at a pace of 20-21% and India is exporting quality generic medicines to 184 countries. Following the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of providing affordable, quality medicines to all can only be achieved through the Janaushadhi Pariyojna.

Through this scheme, the government is planning to take affordable medicines to every corner of the country in near future.

As a future expansion plan of PMBJKs in the country, the Minister further said that the Ministry of Railways has also come on board to open Janaushadhi Kendra at over 1000 railway stations across the country in collaboration with the Ministry.

The Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers has sent an advisory to all State Governments to open PMBJKs in every District headquarters, Tehsil, Block level, bus stands etc. to increase the reach of affordable medicines to the poor and underprivileged citizens of the country.

100 square feet space, PAN card and a registered Pharmacist is all what is required to open a Jan Aushadhi Kendra. A financial assistance of Rs 2.50 lakh rupees is given by the government on opening the Jan Aushadhi Kendra. Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Divyang are given free medicines of 50 thousand in addition to aforementioned financial assistance.

After the announcement of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide affordable treatment to the poor and instructions issued from the Medical Council of India, Janaushadhi Kendras are rapidly opening up.

The Bureau of Pharma (BPPI) has got more than 30 thousand applications from every corner of the country to open the Jan Aushadhi Kendra.

It is an huge opportunity for unemployed of the country.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)