Affordable medicine for the poor: 8,001 Janaushadhi Kendras functional across India covering all districts of the country

Government enhances the incentive granted to storeowners from existing Rs. 2.50 lakh to up to Rs. 5.00 lakh.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyajana (PMBJP), the Government has opened 8,001 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) as on 02.08.2021, covering all the districts of the country and aim to open about 10,500 Janaushadhi Kendras by March 2025. The State Governments/UT Administrations have been requested from time to time to facilitate the opening of Janaushadhi Kendras in the premises of Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs)/Community Health Centers (CHCs)/Hospitals, including super-speciality hospitals, by providing rent-free space within their premises. As on 2.8. 2021, about 1,012 Kendras are functioning inside the Government’s premises.

The scheme was evaluated through a third party before considering its continuation. The recommendations made by the agency were duly considered and changes, as appropriate, made before obtaining approval of the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) for the continuation of the scheme. Further, the performance/functioning of PMBJKs are periodically reviewed at the level of the CEO of the Bureau as well as by the Executive and Governing Council of the Implementing Agency of the Scheme, viz., Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI).

Medicines for Janaushadhi Kendras are procured from domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing companies having World Health Organization – Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-GMP) certified facilities. The medicines are tested in National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) approved Laboratories. The medicines are thereafter dispatched to PMBI’s warehouses at Gurugram, Chennai and Guwahati, wherefrom these are dispatched to the vendors all over the country. A countrywide network of 37 distributors has also been established to support the logistics & distribution of medicines to the Janaushadhi Kendras.

The Government has recently enhanced the incentive granted to storeowners from existing Rs. 2.50 lakh to up to Rs. 5.00 lakh, given @ 15% of monthly purchases made, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 15,000/- per month. Further, the Government has recently approved an additional one-time incentive of Rs. 2.00 Lakh for purchase of furniture and fixtures to the PMBJKs opened in aspirational districts, Himalayan, Island territories, North Eastern States and PMBJKs opened by women entrepreneurs, Divyangs, SCs & STs.

This information was given by the Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Courtesy: PIB