- By Imran Zafar
- Tue, 05 Dec 2023 09:58 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), which aims to provide affordable generic medicines to the masses, is in a grim condition in Punjab as most of the centres are either closed or lack essential medicines. Several people are unable to take benefits of the scheme and are being forced to buy expensive drugs despite the Centre's intention for its expansion.
The public welfare scheme was launched by the UPA government in 2008 and was later relaunched with a new name by the BJP-led NDA coalition in 2015. The scheme provides affordable medicines through special ‘kendras’ (centres), which are now known as Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendra.
The first Janaushadhi Centre in the state opened in Amritsar in 2008, has been shut down for three years. The centre in Jalandhar has also been closed for two years. According to the website janaushadhi.gov.in, there are only 334 active centres in the state, including government and private ones.
Many government doctors do not prescribe generic medicines but write the name of the brand instead. This defeats the purpose of the scheme, which is to make generic medicines available at 80 to 90 per cent lower prices than branded ones. Generic medicines are cheaper because the central government has intervened in their production and distribution.
A team from Dainik Jagran visited a Janaushadhi centre in Ludhiana and found that 11 patients had to return without getting their medicines. They complained that life-saving medicines related to blood pressure, hormones, seizures and skin diseases were never available at the centre. The general public also stated that the timing of the opening and closing of the centre was not fixed.