New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to improving the lives of ordinary citizens continues to bear fruit, with his vision of providing quality healthcare at affordable prices through the launch of ‘Jan Aushadhi Kendra’ across the nation.

One such Jan Aushadhi Kendra has been recently inaugurated in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, where hundreds of people are already benefiting from the initiative. The centre offers high-quality medicines at prices 10 per cent to 70 per cent lower than those found in the market, providing immense relief to the local community.

The initiative aims to ensure that every citizen, regardless of their economic background, has access to essential medicines at significantly lower prices. These centres have now become a lifeline for many, especially in the lower and middle-income groups, enabling them to save substantially on healthcare costs.

Naveen Jain, a resident of Neemuch’s Vikas Nagar, expressed his gratitude, saying, “At the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, medicines are available at prices 10 per cent to 70 per cent lower than the market rate. This has resulted in significant savings for us. This is an excellent initiative, especially for the lower and middle-income groups, and we hope to see more such centres in the future offering affordable medicines.”

The success of the scheme is also attributed to its manager, pharmacist Govind Jaiswal, who highlighted the importance of the scheme in improving healthcare access. He explained, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a scheme that ensures the availability of high-quality medicines at affordable prices for all marking a crucial step towards affordable healthcare for all. At this centre, customers get discounts of up to 70 per cent. This initiative has been particularly helpful for senior citizens, many of whom previously spent between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 on medicines each month. Now, they can purchase the same medicines for as little as Rs 1,000.”

Govind also emphasised the centre’s positive impact on the community, adding, “We are proud to have opened this Jan Aushadhi Kendra on Gayatri Mandir Road in Neemuch, where people can access medicines that would otherwise be unaffordable for many.”

To make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched in November 2008 by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India in collaboration with Central Pharma Public Sector Undertakings.

Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) are opened to provide generic medicines at affordable prices.

Every year, March 7 is celebrated as ‘Jan Aushadhi Diwas’ to raise awareness about the scheme and promote the use of generic medicines. Recently week-long events were organised across the country from March 1 to 7 to support this initiative.

–IANS

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