New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday virtually interact with the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, which was launched in 2015 for making medicines available at affordable prices, and the owners of Jan Aushadhi Kendras, the outlets for the scheme.
The interaction will be held after the end of the week-long celebrations of the 14th Jan Aushadhi Diwas. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “The theme of the event is ‘Jan Aushadhi-Jan Upyogi’… In line with the Prime Minister’s vision to make medicines affordable and accessible to the citizens…” It added there are at least 8600 Jan Aushadhi stores across the country covering almost every district.
The Centre has set a target of increasing the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras to 10,000 by March 2024. In October, there were 8,355 such stores. Since then, the government has set up 320 more.
The scheme covers 1,451 drugs and 240 surgical instruments. Products such as protein powder, malt-based food supplements, protein and immunity bars, sanitisers, masks, glucometers, oximeters, are also stocked at these centres.
Medicines for the scheme are procured from the World Health Organisation–Good Manufacturing Practices certified suppliers for ensuring the quality of the products. Each batch of drugs is tested at accredited laboratories before they are dispatched to the stores.
