Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the 'Janaushadhi Diwas' celebrations today, dedicated the 7500th Janaushadhi Kendra at NEIGRIHMS (North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences), Shillong, to the nation. He said the Centre's Janaushadhi scheme has relieved the poor of high medical expenses. He also said that if all annual savings from the central health schemes are combined, poor and middle-income groups are saving Rs 50,000 crore per year.
During his interaction with beneficiaries, Kendra Sanchalak, Jan Aushadhi Mitras at five locations i.e. Shimla; Bhopal; Ahmedabad; Maruthi Nagar, Diu and Mangalore, and Karnataka, PM Modi asked beneficiaries to spread the word on the benefits of Janaushadhi scheme. "You are my family and your ailment is an ailment of my family members, that is why, I want all my countrymen to stay healthy," he said.
The scheme provided affordable medicine to people in hilly areas, northeast and tribal areas. The PM asked health officials to achieve the target of 10,000 centres soon.
"Poor and middle-class families are saving about Rs 3,600 crore every year on expensive medicines. The scheme is promoting Aatma Nirbharta among women as more than 1,000 centres are being run by women. The incentive has been enhanced from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, with additional incentive of 2 lakh for dalit, aadivasi women and people of the northeast," he said.
He said Ayushman Yojana has also ensured free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, for the country's more than 50 crore poor families. So far, over 1.5 crore people have taken advantage of it and saved about Rs 30,000 crore, he said.
"It means that if we collate the savings being affected by Janaushadhi, Ayushman Bharat and decline in prices of drugs and stents (medical devices) if we only take government schemes in the health sector, then poor and middle-income groups are saving around Rs 50,000 crore per year," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister lauded scientists for the Made in India coronavirus vaccine, saying India has vaccines not only for local use but also for helping the world. The vaccination is free in the government hospitals and private hospitals are charging just Rs 250, which is the lowest in the world, he said.
The Prime Minister said the effort of the government is to make the treatment cheaper, accessible for everyone.
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