Only Jan Aushadhi Kendras operating within govt hospital premises suspended Karnataka Minister

Bengaluru, May 21 (PTI) Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday clarified that only the Jan Aushadhi Kendras functioning within the premises of the government hospitals have been suspended and those operating outside will continue.
    He acknowledged that Jan Aushadhi Kendras provides medicines at a subsidised price, but the Karnataka government provides free medicine.
    "So what's the need for Jan Aushadhi within the government hospital premises," the minister said and suggested Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje verify facts before spreading false information.
    "Misinformation is more harmful than any other disease," he said, tagging the BJP MP in his post on 'X'.
    Rao's clarification came a day after Karandlaje shared a post of a government order regarding the closure of Jan Aushadi Kendras on the premises of government hospitals. She claimed that: "This decision isn't just anti-poor, it's anti-healthcare and anti-livelihood."
    According to officials, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra scheme ensures quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all citizens. Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines at affordable prices.
    "Only the Jan Aushadhi Kendras functioning within the premises of the government hospitals is suspended. Jan Aushadhi Kendras operating outside the government hospital premises will continue to operate," Rao said, responding to her post.
    According to Rao, government doctors are not allowed to recommend patients to purchase any prescribed drugs from outside sources.
    Hospitals have also been instructed to negotiate special pricing with the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) or procure generic medicines directly from BPPI to distribute it free of cost to patients, he said.
    Earlier the health minister had said that the culture of doctors in government hospitals writing prescriptions for patients to purchase medicines from private medical shops should be abandoned and that patients should be provided with adequate medicines free of cost in government hospitals.
    "In this context, 31 proposals submitted to open Jan Aushadhi Kendras on the premises of government hospitals have been rejected. It has been suggested that KSMSCL (Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation) and BPPI should formulate special rates for the purchase of generic medicines, and alternatively, hospitals can purchase medicines from BPPI and distribute them to patients free of cost.
    "I appeal to the public to get medicines free of cost at the medicine centres in government hospitals themselves," he had said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)