Aimed at ensuring availability of medicines at affordable prices, more Jan Aushadhi Kendras will be opened in the State.
Presently, as many as 28 such centres are operational in the State. The Union Government has decided to launch more centres for the convenience of the people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate 1,000 such centres on April 29 under the revamped programme Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
Department of Pharmaceuticals Union Secretary Jai Priye Prakash has asked the State Government to ensure availability of sufficient medicines as a country wide campaign is being undertaken to popularise Jan Aushadhi among people. Earlier the Prime Minister had sought to revamp the programme and accordingly the Department of Pharmaceuticals had undertaken the project on a mission mode.
These centres have as many as 600 types of medicines and surgical and consumables on sale at affordable prices. looking at the mission mode approach of the Centre, the State Government has appointed a nodal officer for the purpose and the Health and Family Welfare Department is spearheading the awareness programme, said sources.
Health and Family Welfare Secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda has taken up the issue with the senior officials of his department. Dr Meherda is coordinating with the CDMOs of the districts and eminent dignitaries and peoples’ representatives are being involved to popularise the programme, said sources.
While two such centres are operational in Bhubaneswar and another in Khordha district Headquarters Hospital, Dhenkanal, Angul, Nayagarh, Puri, Cuttack, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jajpur, Boudh, Bhadrakh, Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Koraput, Kalahandi, Kandhamal districts have one centre each.
Though the programme was launched in 2008 under Jan Aushadhi Yojana, the required amount of generic medicines was not made available in these centres, for which there was a lot of discontentment among the common people.
Now with the revamped programme and thrust from the Prime Minister, it is hoped that the required amount of generic medicines will be made available in these centres.