J&K govt to provide free medicines at health centres

Jammu and Kashmir government today announced that a number of medicines would be provided free of cost to patients at various health centres across the state under its new free drug policy.
The State Administrative Council (SAC), which met here today under the Chairmanship of Governor N N Vohra, gave sanction to the adoption of free drugs policy for Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesperson said.
He said the adoption of the policy will ensure availability of a number of medicines and drugs, free of charge, to patients at different levels at health centres across the state.
"This is part of the policy of the government of India towards achieving the goal of 'Health for All'. It aims at reducing high out of pocket expenditure on healthcare due to high cost of drugs", the spokesman said.

The policy initially provides for making 23 medicines at the level of sub-centres, 53 at the level of Primary Health Centres and 68 at the level of Sub-District Hospitals, District Hospitals available for all 'In patients' and 'Out patients'.
The state government's announcement of the policy also enables it to stake claim to funds for provisioning of drugs/medicines under the National Health Mission (NHM).

"J&K is one of the states which has already put in place a separate central procurement mechanism in the form of the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited.
The Corporation has started functioning fully since 2015 and the drugs/ medicines procured by this agency have already started becoming available", he said.

From the financial year 2016-17, the Corporation will make all the procurements for Health and Medical Education Department.