NEW DELHI: The government of India has regulated the price of over 800 medicines required for the treatment of diseases like cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, and heart disease, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
Interacting with beneficiaries of Jan Aushadhi Yojana, cardiac stents and knee implants via video conference, the prime minister said that his government has opened more than 8,500 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country. “These centres are now becoming solution centres for the common man and not just another government store,” he said.
“The government has also ensured that the cost of stunting and knee implants is also kept under control,” he said, adding that more than 50 crore people fall under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
“More than 3 crore people have taken benefit of the scheme (Ayushman Bharat Yojana), saving Rs 70,000 crores of the poor and middle-class people. The PM National Dialysis programme has saved Rs 550 crore. Knee implant and medicine price control saved Rs 13,000 crores,” he told the beneficiaries during the interaction.
The prime minister’s interaction was part of ‘Jan Aushadhi Week’ being celebrated across the country from March 1 to generate awareness about the usage of generic medicines and the benefits of Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana. Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya was among those present on the occasion.
PM Modi also informed the audience about his government’s decision that half of the seats in private medical colleges will be charged at par with government medical colleges, which, he said, will benefit the poor and middle-class children.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction on the performance of such welfare schemes, saying that the schemes are accruing to all segments of people and in all parts of the country.
He also noted the success of the Re 1 sanitary napkin. “The sale of 21 crore sanitary napkins shows that Jan Aushadhi Kendras have made the lives of women easy all over the country,” he said.