Jammu, Nov 29: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday directed to constitute a committee to he headed by chief secretary to formulate a comprehensive scheme for establishment of drug stores in the State for supplying low cost, high quality generic medicines to the people.
 “There should be provisions under the State Drug Policy for establishing and running of such drug stores competently for the larger benefits of general public especially the poor,” he said chairing a meeting here to take stock of the various aspects of the Draft Dug Policy formulated by the health and medical education department.
 Omar said that the policy should be urgently placed before the Cabinet for review and approval.
 “Soon the policy is approved and put in place, it will be better for the public as well as the health and medical education department”, he said.
 The Chief Minister emphasizing the importance of procurement of quality medicines as per the requirement in the hospitals, highlighted the need for strengthening the drug laboratories in the State so that drug analysis and tests of National and International standards are carried out in these laboratories.
 “Government is concerned about checking the sale and supply of spurious and sub-standard medicines in the market and in this connection a unified approach has to be evolved involving all the stake holders in field,” he asserted.
 An official statement said  that the draft drug policy among other things provide for the process of procurement and supply of essential medicines as defined by the World Health Organization taking care of the health needs of the people.
 It states that the health department intends to open four drug stores at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar and one each at Leh and Kargil in the beginning while in all the districts subsequently.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST