India's first overseas Jan Aushadhi Kendra inaugurated in Mauritius

Port Louis: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has inaugurated India's first overseas Jan Aushadi Kendra in Mauritius, testifying the "close" bilateral cooperation, especially in the key health sector.

Jaishankar was in Mauritius on a two-day visit from June 16 to 17, one of the first countries he visited in his current term as External Affairs Minister.

On Wednesday, he jointly inaugurated India's first overseas Jan Aushadi Kendra with Mauritian Prime Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, "testifying to the close cooperation between our countries, especially in the important sector of health," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been set up to make affordable generic medicines available to all.

"Delighted to inaugurate along with Prime Minister @KumarJugnauth the first overseas Jan Aushadi Kendra in Mauritius. This Aushadi Kendra is the delivery of the promise made by PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

"The India-Mauritius health partnership project will supply cost-effective, Made-in-India medicines to augment public healthcare and enhance well-being," he added.

Jaishankar and Prime Minister Jugnauth also inaugurated a modern medical facility built with Indian grant assistance in Grand Bois on Wednesday.

Jaishankar called the Mediclinic the "newest expression of our friendship".

"Joined Prime Minister @KumarJugnauth in inaugurating the new Mediclinic Project at Grand Bois in Mauritius. PM @narendramodi has rightly termed the India-Mauritius relationship as “Khoon ka Rishta” (blood relation)," he said in a post on X.

"Delivery of this project, which will provide healthcare services to more than 16,000 residents is the newest expression of our friendship. And of the people-centric development partnership that India-assisted projects offer," he said.

"I'm told it will provide secondary health care for 16,000 people in the Grand Pois area, and we feel very proud to be a partner in this collaboration," Jaishankar said in his address at the inauguration event.

"We feel proud because, after COVID-19, health is a priority...All of us have become health conscious," he said.

"We worry about things rightly so. But we also believe, all of us believe that health is our right. And that right today, every government has a duty to deliver," he said.

"For me to be part of such an important delivery event is something which is a matter of great satisfaction," he said.

Speaking about the Jan Aushadi Kendra, he said, "And today, to hear from the Health Minister that the Jan Aaushadi Kendra is operational, and that actually the Mauritius government will be seeking from us a list of, or a supply of key medicines, key medicines which common citizen uses on a regular basis, which will be available on an affordable basis. That is something which I consider to be a very, very important achievement on the health side."

Jaishankar asserted that with new hospitals, new clinics, Jan Aaushadhi Kendra, new metros and new social housing projects coming up in India, and Indian children getting digital education, "it is natural that in our extended family, we would also like to share abroad and I am very glad today to have an opportunity to see that."

Prime Minister Jugnauth and Jaishankar also virtually inaugurated 12 India-assisted Community Development Projects, highlighting the "vibrant and people-centred India-Mauritius development cooperation", the Foreign Ministry statement said.

During his visit, Jaishankar also met Mauritius' top political leaders, including Opposition leader Arvin Boolell, and discussed ways to deepen India's special and enduring partnership with the island nation.