New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated to the nation the 7,500th Janaushadhi Kendra at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong on Sunday via video conferencing.
PM Modi said the demand for ‘Made in India’ medicines have been increasing and the government is planning to provide 75 Ayush medicines on ‘Janaushadhi’ centres so that maximum number of people can be benefited as soon as possible and the money they were spending on costly medicines could be lowered down.
“The whole world is now taking India seriously after Covid pandemic. India has now turned world’s pharmacy. During the Covid-19 period, India has earned the confidence of the whole world. Now, we are focussing on generic medicines and supporting and encouraging them. Corona vaccination is being available free of cost in government hospitals and in private hospitals for Rs 250. I have also taken the first dose of Corona Vaccine,” Modi said during the event.
Mr Modi said the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi scheme has relieved the poor of their high medical expenses. Jan Aushadhi centres are helping people from poor and middle-class families to save around 3,600 crore rupees every year.
“The PM Janaushadhi Pariyojana is a medium of seva (service) and rozgar (employment) as it also provides employment opportunities to the youth. As part of the scheme, sanitary pads for girls available at ₹2.5,” said PM Modi
He was happy to note that that the JanAushadhi scheme is helping people not only in medical treatment but also in generating employment for the youth. He pointed out that more than 1,000 JanAushadhi Kendras are being run by women.
“Over the years, there has been an attempt to end all forms of discrimination in treatment, treatment has been extended to every poor person. The cost of essential medicines and equipments associated with surgeries has been reduced. Under the Ayushman scheme, more than 50 crore poor families of the country have been provided free treatment up to five lakh rupees. More than 1.5 crore people have taken advantage of this. Before 2014, where there were about 55 thousand MBBS seats in the country, during the six years it has been increased by more than 30 thousand. Similarly, the PG seats which used to be 30 thousand, more than 24 thousand new seats have been added,” said PM Modi.
“Medicines are expensive, that’s why we’ve PM ‘Jan Aushadhi ‘ yojana for the poor which saves their money. I urge people to buy medicines at affordable cost from ‘Modi ki Dukaan’ (as people like to call it),” the Prime Minister said while interacting with a beneficiary.
He was interacting with the beneficiaries as part of ‘Jan Aushadhi Diwas’.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in order to create more awareness about ‘Jan Aushadhi’, an entire week – from March 1 to March 7 – is being celebrated as ‘Jan Aushadhi Week’ across the nation, with the theme of ‘Jan Aushadhi – Seva bhi, Rozgar bhi’.