Affordable drugs and medical devices may soon become a reality in J&K, as the government, after years of delay, is setting up Janaushadi and AMRIT stores in state health facilities across the state.
Recently, hospitals in J&K were directed to identifyspaces near their OPD areas to set up Janaushadi and AMRIT stores.
A senior official in thehealth and medical education department said a series of meetings in thisregard have recently been held with the hospital authorities as well as theofficials from union health ministry and the Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL), theimplementation organisation for AMRIT.
“An MoU will be signed by the J&K Government and the HLLlater this month,” the official said.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is acentral scheme aimed at providing quality medicines to patients at affordablerates; the AMRIT (affordable medicine and reliable implants for treatment)targets selling surgical implants, consumables and other medical devices atreduced rate.
A source in H&ME department said that although thegovernment of India had written to the J&K government many times since 2017to set up AMRIT stores in the hospitals so as to give some relief to thepatients against the high cost treatments, it was only recently that theprocess was initiated.
Last month, the source said, the HLL was awarded thecontract of setting up AMRIT pharmacies in the state hospitals. “These storeswill sell drugs and medicines, including vaccines, as well as ortho implants,cardiac implants, cochlear implants at affordable cost,” the source said.
In the beginning, thesestores will be set up at SMHS Hospital, Bone and Joint Hospital, Lal DedHospital, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura and SKIMSBemina.
Similarly, Janaushadi stores are being set up incollaboration with Indian Red Cross Society and opened to private players.
Janaushadi scheme had beenlaunched in the state in 2009. However, for the past decade, the stores havenot been able to make much progress.
The failure of the government to set up subsidised drugstores in the hospitals, an official said, was a major cause of cost escalationfor the treatment for masses.
A senior doctor working with GMC Srinagar alleged that thedelay in setting up these stores that could have provided succour to the poorpatients was “deliberate”.
“There are people who would not want these stores to run asit would damage their business interests,” he said, while hoping that this timearound the government would be able to make the schemes run.
Commissioner secretaryH&ME, Atal Dulloo said that various innovative options for running thesestores were being explored. “We are holding meetings with stakeholders andofficials to ensure that all bottlenecks are addressed and we are able to runthese stores immediately,” he said.