Govt highlights Janaushadhi scheme benefits to foreign representatives; says it can be replicated in other countries

Mansukh Mandaviya along with senior officials made presentations about the PMBJP initiative

The government on Friday highlighted the benefits of the Janaushadhi scheme to representatives of various countries and proposed that the initiative can be replicated in their own regions.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya along with senior officials made presentations about the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) initiative.

Speaking at the event, Mandaviya, who also heads the Chemicals and Fertilisers ministry, noted that the PMBJP scheme could help the countries provide affordable medicines to their respective citizens.

"We feel that the model of the PMBJP programme can be shared with your countries. This will give you the option to introduce a similar programme for your citizens. This will bring economic benefit for poor and middle class households in your country," Mandaviya told ambassadors and representatives of various countries who attended the meeting.

The scheme can reduce the burden on the country's import bill and would also help generate employment for educated youth and contribute to improve access to quality health care products, he added.

"If your country feels that this is a model that can be replicated, our Indian missions and other teams are ready to help in rolling out the programme through your own government department," Mandaviya said.

He noted that the discussions held today will help the government in drawing synergy and later ways for future collaboration while playing an important role in the deepening of relationships, moving forward from trade to welfare.

Mandaviya said that through the PMBJP scheme, medicines are made available to people at a price which is 50-80 per cent lower than the commercial market.

Jaishankar noted that globally healthcare is a very critical issue.

"And the last three years, the years of the pandemic, have given it perhaps an exceptional salience," he said. The minister noted that if a product is not affordable, it is then not accessible and if it is not accessible, it is not available.

"So there is a direct correlation between cost and usage," Jaishankar said.

Addressing the gathering, he noted that there is a learning that the nations could access from each other through an exchange of experiences.

"That is very much what we are hoping to promote during our G20 presidential as well," Jaishankar said.

Further, he said: "Already our development partnerships today extend to almost 80 countries across the world, in different regions. It is an India development partnership that we constantly want to refresh to make it more relevant to the needs and priorities of our partners. And we certainly believe that health is one such domain."

The minister said he hoped that today's discussion can also be taken into the DPA (development partnership administration) domain.

The Ambassador of Ecuador to India stated that his country would also be interested to promote joint collaborations on research and development with pharmaceutical companies.

Pattarat Hongtong, Ambassador of Thailand to India, said, "...we can share it (PMBJP) with our government and perhaps it can lead to a definite cooperation between two countries."

PMBJP was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in November 2008. As on October 31, 2022, as many as 8,819 jan aushadhi outlets were functional across the country, selling around 1,759 drugs and 280 surgical items.