Bengaluru, Jun 20 (PTI) Karnataka Health Minister U T Khader on Saturday defended inspections of ‘Jan Aushadhi Kendras’, asserting that the exercise was aimed at ensuring compliance with regulations and safeguarding public health, and not intended as a raid on the outlets.
Speaking to reporters here, Khader said Jan Aushadhi Kendras cater to ordinary citizens and that authorities had a responsibility to verify the quality and certification of medicines being supplied through the centres.
“Those who run Jan Aushadhi Kendras properly do not make allegations. Those who don’t, level charges,” the minister said.
He was explaining about the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses.
PMBJP stores have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at cheaper prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs.
Khader said Jan Aushadhi Kendras are meant for ordinary people and it was necessary to check the quality of medicines and their sources. “Are these medicines government-certified or not? These are things that have to be examined. How can anyone say that this should not be checked,” he sought to know.
The minister said the Kendras operated under a prescribed set of rules and regulations and that the government was duty-bound to ensure they were functioning in accordance with those norms.
Underlining that the Kendras are a sector that has an impact on the health of the common people, Khader maintained that every Kendra has rules and regulations that specify how it should function.
The minister emphasised the need to see whether these Kendras are being run properly or not. It has to be seen whether there are any irregularities and whether they are doing or selling anything other than medicines.
“According to some complaints I have received, certain Kendras are selling various other items instead of focusing on medicines. So, this has to be examined,” he said.
Responding to criticism over the inspections, the minister maintained that the exercise was merely a verification process and not an enforcement raid.
He also said that when there are thousands of branches of Jan Aushadhi, it is not possible to say that everything is perfectly fine everywhere.
The minister clarified that the exercise was not a raid and was only checking and verifying.
“If everything is in order, then that is fine. If there are shortcomings, we need to identify what those shortcomings are, discuss them, and then tell the Centre: ‘Please change your policy’,” Khader explained.
The minister said people running Jan Aushadhi Kendras told him about their difficulties and grievances such as non arrival of medicines and inadequate stock. PTI GMS KH
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