Free Generic Medicines

With the aim to provide affordable health care to the people by reducing their out of pocket expenses on medicines, an initiative for free supply of essential medicines to the patients availing treatments in public health facilities in the country has been approved in the 12th Five Year Plan to promote rational use of medicines and reduce the consumption of inessential medicines. There is an outlay of Rs.16,000crore for this initiative in the 12th Plan. The initiative is based on the Tamil Nadu model where free medicines procured in bulk by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), in generic name, directly from the manufacturers is supplied through an IT enabled supply chain management system to the public.

The Central Procurement Agency has already been registered in the name of the Central Medical Services Society. Modernization of health centers is the responsibility of the State / UT Governments. It is a continuous and ongoing process.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare ShriGhulamNabi Azadin written reply to a question in the LokSabha yesterday.

BN/HB