New Delhi: Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) has opened 91 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in J&K and 3 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Ladakh region since January to July this year with an aim of making available quality generic medicines at an affordable price to the residents of these regions.
Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) under the department of pharmaceuticals Govt of Inadia is the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)
In J&K First Jan Aushadhi Kendra was opened at Lal Chowk, Srinagar on 9th May 2011 and in Ladakh’s first Jan Aushadhi Kendra was opened at SNM Hospital on 9th January, 2012. In last one year i.e. since 5th August, 2019 onwards, BPPI have opened 31 new kendras in J&K and one in Ladakh. Total sales in last one year has crossed Rs. 4.39 Crore in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh which led to total savings of Rs. 31 Crore for residents of this area.
Govt. of J&K and Govt. of Ladakh proposed to open 73 new Jan Aushadhi kendras for which locations have already been identified. The opening of these kendras will be completed after the formation of the news pharmacy councils in both UTs.
Prime minister Shri Narendra Modi had himself spoken to the beneficiaries of the scheme through video conferencing on the occasion of Jan Aushadhi Diwas on 7th March 2020. In this session one of the beneficiaries Mr. Ghulam Nabi Dar , a senior citizen from Pulwama, Kashmir, talked about benefits of the scheme, especially for poor & deprived ones . He also explained how the savings made due to the low cost of generic medicines available in Jan Aushadhi Kendras are shaping their lives as they are using these savings for other constructive works. He had requested hon’ble prime minister to open these Kendra in the region.
Through this Jan Aushadhi kendras, Government of India has also made available Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Pads at Rs. 1/- per pad for the underprivileged women throughout the country. Jammu & Kashmir has directly purchased these pads from BPPI under National Health Mission for free distribution. Till now, BPPI have supplied 1.56 Crore pads to J&K and Ladakh region. NHM has been distributing these pads free of cost to young girls and women as a part of “Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK)”.
