Health schemes led to Rs 50k cr savings annually: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the poor and needy have been able to save Rs 50,000 crore annually due to various health-related measures taken up by his government like providing affordable medicines, healthcare and reducing the prices of medical devices.
Modi, who dedicated to the nation the 7,500th Janaushadhi Kendra at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong, also said the move to provide affordable medicines through the Janaushadhi scheme is spreading across the length and breadth of the country.
In a virtual address regarding the ‘’Janaushadhi Week’’ celebrated across the nation from March 1 to March 7 to create awareness about the ‘’Janaushadhi’’ scheme, the Prime Minister said it is helping the countrymen living in tribal areas in the North East and the mountainous areas.
“Today, when the 7,500th centre has been inaugurated, it has been held in Shillong. It is clear from this how much public health centres are expanding in the North East,” Modi said.
He said that the dedication of the 7,500th centre is important as there were not even 100 centres in India six years ago and asked to achieve the target of 10,000 centres.
The Prime Minister, who also interacted with beneficiaries and people associated with the scheme at five locations -- Shimla, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Mangalore and Maruthi Nagar in Diu, further said, “It is clear from my discussion with people who run the Janaushadhi centres at every corner of the country and some of its beneficiaries that this scheme is becoming a very big companion of poor and middle-class families. This scheme is becoming the medium of both service and employment”.
Stating that poor and middle-class families are saving about Rs 3,600 crore every year on expensive medicines through the scheme, Modi said it is promoting ‘’Aatamnirbharta’’ among women as more than 1,000 centres are being run by the women.
Besides, he said till now more than 11 crore sanitary napkins have been sold through these centres and under the Janaushadhi Janani mission, and important nutrition, as well as supplements for pregnant women, are being provided through the centres.
Modi further said now 75 Ayush medicines are also available in Janaushadhi centres. Patients will benefit by getting the medicines cheaply and the field of Ayurveda and Ayush medicine will also be benefitted.