The creation of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (307 PMBJKs) across Jammu and Kashmir has been verified by the legislative assembly to be an incredible milestone in the public health system of India. This milestone demonstrates how much the government is working towards ensuring the right to health for ALL individuals, not only those with sufficient means.
The Jan Aushadhi programme operates from the premise that affordable medicines can still be of quality.
Because of this, through the use of the PMBJKs, patients will have access to over 2,000 types of medicines and 300 types of surgical products, and will have to spend 50% to 80% less than they would at a normal pharmacy for the same items.
Due to the rise in cost of living, families are experiencing additional financial difficulty from the out-of-pocket expense associated with nonreimbursed healthcare.
A further commendable aspect of this initiative is the government’s commitment to quality. All of the medication that will be provided through the PMBJKs has been sourced from manufacturers that have received WHO certification, and all medications are being tested through NABL accredited laboratories.
This rigorous process also dispels the traditional notion that low-cost medicines are not as good quality as high-quality medicines, when in fact, low-cost and high-quality medicines can exist together in the same market.
Moreover, the success of this program has been further reinforced through a strong policy framework.
As indicated at the assembly, the government is continuing to educate physicians about the prescribing of generics, through conducting quarterly reports to look at the number of generics being prescribed to make sure they are following the NMC Act.
The combination of policies and prescriptions will ensure that there is full access by the public to the benefits of Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
The establishment of 307 Kendras represents a large-scale accomplishment for J&K and is a demonstration of the notion that the financial resources available to a person do not determine what sort of health care outcomes they can expect to achieve.
