Union Minister for State for Road Transport and Highways Pon. Radhakrishnan speaking at a workshop in Gandhigram Rural University on Saturday. | Photo Credit: G. Karthikeyan more-in A total of 3,000 Jan Aushadhi Stores (medical shops) will be opened across the country before March 31 to ensure availability of quality generic medicines at affordable prices. Tamil Nadu will have 250 shops by March end, said Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon. Radhakrishnan. Inaugurating a workshop on Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana held at KVK in Gandhigram near here on Saturday, he said that over 700 medicines for 98 diseases including cancer and diabetis and 164 surgical produces will be available at lesser prices at these sales outlets. Meets WHO standards The medicines were equivalent in quality and efficacy and met WHO standards as expensive branded drugs. For example, the medicine for cancer was being sold at Rs.4500 in the open market. But people would be getting them at Rs.440 from these shops, he added. “Even as the scheme was implemented in 2008, the BJP Government speeded up the scheme to ensure better quality of life for all. Small states like Jharkand had implemented it effectively. But as a progressive state, Tamil Nadu was yet to execute the scheme. What was the purpose in wasting time at TASMAC shops? We should take health schemes to the doorsteps of the people. At present, the state has 64 outlets only,” he also pointed out. Bureau of Pharma PSU of India Director General Rohit Mehra said Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir were leading in the country in opening Aushadhi outlets. The J&K had even fined four doctors who refused to obey the State government order, he added. Mr. Radhakrishnan said that the Centre’s plan was to make travel free at all toll gates on highways. But the government needed more funds to lay highways. “We cannot stop collecting toll from road users now,” he added. Gandhigram Rural Institute Vice Chancellor S. Natarajan said that the GRI would open an outlet on its campus for the convenience of the people at Gandhigram and nearby villages. GRI Professor G. Palanithurai, Scheme Chief Advisor L. Vijay Kumar and others spoke.

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