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| Under Jan Aushadi Stores Scheme Drugs are not only of QUALITY but are priced genuinely low | | | Daya Sagar | 5/30/2011 11:23:19 PM |
| Draft of J&K Drug policy was initiated in 2009. Health Minister Sham Lal had informed the J&K Legislature on April 3, 2010 that a total drug Policy was under preparation. In .November 2010 CM Omar Abdullah too had expressed his worries on the high prices of drugs offered in the market when addressing a high level meeting on 29 November 2010 he had informed that that soon JK Drug Policy would be ready and there would be special provision of the Jan Aushadi (Drug) Store scheme and four Jan Aushadi Stores would be soon opened (at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar and one each at Leh and Kargil in the beginning and thereafter in all districts ) where the medicines would be available by Generic name and would be prices genuinely ( would be priced with fair profit). Before this also it was said that Union Ministry of Chemicals / Fertilizers { department of Pharmaceuticals} had decided to start four Jan Aushadi Stores in J&K immediately with the assistance of JK Chapter of Red Cross .Six months have since past, no drug policy has been yet implemented and Jan Aushadi Store Scheme has not taken off yet ( one store has been inaugurated by J&K Governor at Red Cross Complex on 9th May ). But surely Sham Lal Sharma Health Minister has again told on 15 May 2011 in the presence of Dr. Farooq Abdullah at Srinagar that Drug Control Policy would be soon implemented in J&K. Medical Education Minister R. S. Chib too had talked on Drug Policy on 9th May..
When ever some leader, minister , even some senior Bureaucrat ( keyon ki aaj ke din ek sarkaari karmachari bhi kisee kshetr ka dora karnae ke baad samachaar patroan mein uski eis trah bayakeyha karbata hai yesae esa karna oos ka kartabay na ho kar aam admi par ehsaan jatana hai ) talks of some common welfare scheme , great hopes are set. Even when the common faith in the political leaders has fallen , still it is hoped that some good leader may still take a lead. When ever some one talks of common man, common man’s health , common man’s education it sounds very nice and soothing. But it pains when Bhasan Bhashan hi rehta .Jan Aushadi Store scheme has been no exception.
For name sake , even after six months , one drug store was inaugurated by Governor N N Vohra on 9 May 2011 in Red Cross Complex, Exchange Road Srinagar ( that too not near or in any identified Hospitals or near any main government hospital – say at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar ). What to talk of opening such fair price stores atleast in every government hospital or near every government hospital , Government has not been able to open even one such stores in six 6 Months after having announced that 4 such stores would be opened ( at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar and one each at Leh and Kargil ) . Surely some forces ( may be even from with in) are working for the failure of this programme.. The voluntary organizations and the common considering minds must rise against those forces, come to the assistance of J&K Health Minister and carry on the with idea of promotion of Jan Aushadi Scheme. Sham Lal Jee Akhnoor Sub District Hospital mein toe khol hi deejeeyae ek JADS ( surely you can DARE ).
Jan Aushadhi Scheme / Campaign was started with the opening of one a store at Amritsar on 25th Nov 2008 by the then Union Minister Chemicals and Fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan . But the programme has not been yet reached Jammu or Srinagar even in 30 month thereafter, what to talk of rural poor exploited masses of J&K.. No doubt even at the National ( all India level) level the JADS has not taken off that expectedly. Surely there are forces working for the failure of this scheme ( no doubt it could be manufacturers, the sellers, even practicing / prescribing doctors). And so far they have succeed. Sham Lal Sharma / Omar Abdullah will have to defeat such forces .
Since, JADS would greatly help the poor / needy people of J&K ( 80 % of whom depend on Government doctors / hospitals ), the statements as made by CM Omar Abdullah and HM Sham Lal Sharma had raised many hopes..Thanking the CM, I had requested the Chief Minister in Dec 2010 ( my media coloumns) to immediately order for opening such stores atleast in all sub district hospitals in 2010 itself ( encouraging voluntary organizations / un employed youth / retired persons / women societies / private individuals) . But even after 6 months ( 9 may 2011) one store has been inaugurated at not that sought after location .
To add to all this , government has not been able to even issue an order directing atleast the Government doctors to prescribe medicines by generic ( salt name ) only ( as far as possible ) since with out that even if JADS are opened , the patients would be under the influence of the prescriptions written by brand name by the doctors and there would be not fair competition amongst the manufacturers or sellers . As par the availability on date some medicines could be notified particularly . I understand that the defence hospitals have been circulated such a list ( generic stream wise) covering nearly 200 medicines / their manufacturers.. JADS too had targeted about 300 drugs in trade. But the question is why does not the J&K Government issue such an order ?
Going by what Sham Lal Sharma has said on 15 May 2011 at Srinagar let us still hope that the Drug Policy would implemented during this month itself ( June 2011) and it is hoped that among other things it would include (i) wring prescription by generic name (ii) making available at least one JA Stores in every government hospital / or near to it ( particularly rural areas) (iii) involvement of Voluntary organizations in the JADS scheme (iv) promotional programme for use of JADS (v) involvement of civil society in the management of Government Hospitals (v) awareness programme for carrying to common man that medicines sold by generic name would be no way less in quality (vi) laying in policy for posting of PHARMOCOLOGY ( MD / DM) Specialist Doctors at senior positions in Drug & Food Control Organization as well as the / requisitioning /Procurement / Inspection departments of Health Departments / Institutions.
What to talk of J&K , in India itself, 80 % of the population suffers from common ailments and they can afford to avail only Government health facilities. No doubt poor people also rush to private clinics even for small ailments since the government infrastructure in general has lost the confidence of the common man
Medicines in JADS would be of right price and not simply cheaper or with subsidized price.( for example Jan Aushadhi Tab. Ciprofloxacin 250mg 10 Tab pack in Feb 2009 was priced Rs.11.10 where as a Branded Strip was priced MRP Rs.55 per similarly Aushadhi Tab. Cetrizine. 10mg 10 Tab pack was Rs.2.78 where as Branded strip MRP was Rs.20 . In June 2009 Aushadhi Cough Syrup110 ml was Rs.13.30 where as Branded Syrup MRP was Rs.33. ) Government and social workers must carry the message to masses.In simple words it could be concluded that near total commercialization in the health service sector has been the “ mother “ of Jan Aushadi Store Scheme, (i) this day allopathic medicines are the most sought for (ii) a good number of medicines have origin in same ( generic base material ) but are marketed / prescribed under different brand names (iii) Brand name and CHEMICAL names are mentioned on the medicine pack / strip but prescription is issued by Brand name (iv) to meet the trade competition the companies try their best to win the retailers / prescribing doctors ( even by unduly inflating the MRP) (vi) some companies manufacture the same medicine under different brand names with unbelievably unfair MRP and dealer discount structure.
Negative forces are working hard to see that Jan Aushadi Stores do not TAKE off in J&K
In Jan Aushadi stores prices would be very very low even without any Government Subsidy
In JADS some Generic Named can be made available at 1/5th of the MRP of some Branded names
JADS when opened would force the Drug Companies to redraft their MRPs and “Profits”
What problem J&K Government has to issue order for prescription writing by Generic name ?????
Why not post PHARMOCOLOGY ( MD / DM) at senior positions in Drug & Food Control Organization ????
(*Daya Sagar is a social activist and leading coloumnist on J&K Affairs [email protected] 9419796096)
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