State Govt making consistent efforts to bring expensive health services to the poor: CM

Raipur, Oct 20:

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said that the state government is making consistent efforts to make expensive health services available and accessible to the poorest of the poor. Many schemes have been started for to achieve this goal. In the same sequence, Shri Dhanwantri Medical Store Scheme has been launched today. Under this scheme, Generic medicines will be available in these medical stores at the cost 50 to 71 percent cheaper than the MRP. Chief Minister was addressing the inaugural program of Shri Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store scheme through video conferencing from his residence office today. Under this scheme, Chief Minister Baghel inaugurated 84 shops in the state. In these Shri Dhanwantri Generic Medical Stores, quality medicines will be made available at affordable rates to the consumers. People will get a discount of minimum 50.09 percent and maximum 71 percent discount on the MRP of medicines.
Gaurela, two medical stores each in Pendra-Marwahi, Surajpur and Jashpur districts, 1-1 medical stores have been opened under the scheme in Mahasamund, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Gariaband, Bemetara, Kabirdham, Sarguja, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kanker and Dantewada districts.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Mr. Baghel also inaugurated home kit and travel kit of medicines. This kit will be available for sale at Shri Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store. The home kit of medicines priced at Rs 691 will be available in these medical stores at Rs 290 and the travel kit which costs Rs 311 will be available at Rs 130.
Under this scheme run by the Urban Administration and Development Department, State Government is planning to open 188 medical stores in 169 cities of the state in the near future. It will be mandatory for these medical stores to sell 251 types of generic medicines and 27 surgical products. Besides, Sanjeevani products of Forest Department, cosmetics products and baby food etc. will also be sold in these stored opened under the scheme. These medical stores will sell generic medicines of 20 reputed brands such as Cipla, Alembic, Ranbaxy, Cadila, Pfizer, which will be affordable as well as of high quality. These medical stores will also have pain killers and antipyretic, muscle relaxant, women’s menstrual hygiene products, pregnancy related medicines, and the medicines of allergy, eye, ear, nose, throat disease, heart disease, cold-cough- fever, local and general anesthesia, Thyroid medicines, antifungal medicines, vitamin tablets and medicines for skin diseases etc. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on the occasion that the cost of healthcare services is a cause for concern all over the world. People often become victims of debt and inflation due to medical expenses. With the goal of universal health coverage, state government has started Mukhyamantri Haat Bazar Clinic Yojna, Mukhyamantri Shahari Slum Health Scheme in urban areas to provide better health services in remote areas. Dai-Didi Clinic scheme has also been started for women and adolescent girls.
Chief Minister said that Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyan and Malaria Mukt Abhiyan, which was started from Bastar, has been expanded to the entire state. Hospitals are being equipped with all kinds of facilities all the way from block-level to the district-level. New recruitments are being done on 4000 posts in the Health Department. Dr. Khubchand Baghel Swasthya Sahayata Yojana and Chief Minister’s Special Health Scheme have been started with the aim of providing medical aid to the poorest of the poor. Under these schemes, medical aid of Rs 5 lakh to 20 lakh is provided to the people in need for treatment of serious diseases. Lack of money should not be a hindrance in accessing the medical treatment required. On this occasion, Chief Minister appealed the doctors and pharmacists to contribute in popularizing generic medicines and requested public representatives to publicize this scheme. Chief Minister said that the herbal medicines, organic products prepared by the forest dwellers will also be made available in these medical stores. Under Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store scheme, 15 medical stores have been opened in Durg district, 15 in Janjgir-Champa district, 6 each in Dhamtari, Korba and Raigad districts, 5 in Rajnandgaon, 3-3 in Bilaspur, Kondagaon, Sukma and Bijapur districts, Raipur, Gaurela, two medical stores each in Pendra-Marwahi, Surajpur and Jashpur districts, 1-1 medical stores have been opened under the scheme in Mahasamund, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Gariaband, Bemetara, Kabirdham, Sarguja, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kanker and Dantewada districts.