Jan Aushadhi can save citizens Rs 500 crore: D V Sadananda Gowda

Citizens are collectively estimated to save Rs 500 crore this year in Karnataka by purchasing generic medicines from the Jan Aushadhi stores, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda said Saturday.

Karnataka has 705 Jan Aushadhi stores, whose functioning Gowda reviewed as pharmaceuticals comes under his ministerial jurisdiction.

“Compared with private stores that sell branded medicines, the prices in our Jan Aushadhi Kendras are 4-5 times lower,” Gowda said. “The yearly turnover in Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Karnataka is Rs 125 crore. If people were to depend solely on private stores, they’d end up spending Rs 600-700 crore. Therefore, people can save at least Rs 500 crore from Jan Aushadhi Kendras,” he explained.

In the 2020-21 fiscal, the Jan Aushadhi stores have registered a 73% growth till date. “The turnover target this year is Rs 125 crore and we’ve achieved Rs 65 crore in the last six months. In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Jan Aushadhi stores have done business beyond the targets,” he said.

The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), which runs the Jan Aushadhi scheme, had inked an agreement with the state government to open 200 new generic medicine outlets. “Of this, the MSIL has started 85 and Red Cross Society 33. Action is being taken to open the remaining ones soon,” Gowda said. “Every year, over 100 stores are being opened.”

The Jan Aushadhi stores sell 825 types of medicines and 122 model surgical instruments, he said.

The Jan Aushadhi stores were selling sanitary pads called ‘Suvidha’ for Re 1 each. “In other stores, branded sanitary pads cost Rs 4-10 each,” he said, asking officials to create more awareness on ‘Suvidha’ pads.

Gowda also took stock of the Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL). The centrally-run company has a target of manufacturing medicines worth Rs 525 crore with a sales target of Rs 500 crore this year. In the last two quarters, the company sold medicines worth Rs 257 crore.