Mumbai: Under the Centre's generic medicine scheme, the state government has decided to start round-the-clock generic medicine shops in 18 government medical and dental colleges and hospitals located in the interiors. The initiative was earlier launched on a pilot project basis in four medical institutions. Owing to good response, the project will be now extended to 14 facilities coming under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research.
Medicines at affordable rates
“The dispensaries will start in the medical colleges of Gondia, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Miraj, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Latur, Akola, Yavatmal, Satara, Osmanabad, Nandurbar, Sindhudurg and Alibaug. The common people will now get the facility of getting medicines at affordable rates in hospitals,” said a senior official.
To be set up by the National Federation of Farmers Procurement Processing and Retailing Co-operative of India (NACOF) with the help of urban local self-government organisations, these shops will be under the watch of a technical committee, which will submit a report to the medical education department every six months.
Currently, patients have to purchase medicines from outside as state-run hospitals do not have all the medicines required for various illnesses. “While branded medicines are costly, generic medicine can be availed for a much lower price. Generally, the price difference between branded and genericmedicines can go up to 70%. This way, generic medicines can reduce the expense significantly,” said a senior official from the state health department.
“If generic medicines are not available at these shops, other branded medicines will be made available to the patient,” said an official.
