Karnataka govt issues order to evict Jan Aushadi Kendras from govt hospital premises

BENGALURU: The Congress government in Karnataka is firm on not having the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadi Kendras on the premises of government hospitals and has ordered them to be evicted. The district health officers (DHOs) have been directed to issue notices to the owners of such Jan Aushadi Kendras.

Mr @TVMohandasPai before fully understanding the subject don’t come to conclusions. If there’s any Govt that thinks most about the poor it is Shri @siddaramaiah’s govt.
We don’t need prodding, least of all from you.

There are 1400 Jan Aushada Kendra’s in Karnataka and only… https://t.co/vDnL1ZVRdg

— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) May 21, 2025

There are about 1,400 Jan Aushadi Kendras in Karnataka of which about 180 are in state government facilities. The Karnataka government is firm on not having Jan Aushadi Kendras on government hospital premises and is rejecting all new applications. It is, however, not opposed to Jan Aushadi Kendras being opened outside the hospitals.

The argument of the state government and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao is that patients are provided medicines for free at the government hospitals and that they need not have to pay and buy at Jan Aushadi Kendras.

However, owners of the Jan Aushadi Kendras have opposed the move pointing out that huge stocks of drugs would go waste and they would incur losses. They pointed out that they have borrowed loans to sent up the Jan Aushadi Kendras and demanded that the order be withdrawn.

The owners’ association pointed out that each Jan Aushadi Kendra has stocks worth Rs 2.5-3 lakh and they would go waste if it passes the expiry date. It has also warned of protest if the state government does not withdraw its order.