Health minister orders eviction of Sanjeevini, generic medicine stores too from govt hospitals

BENGALURU: Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has stated that selling medicines in government hospitals is not right, especially when the government is already providing free medicines. There is no political agenda as Jan Aushadhi is a central government scheme, he noted.

ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಜನೌಷಧಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಗಿತಗೊಳಿಸಿಲ್ಲ. ಒಟ್ಟು 1400 ಜನೌಷಧಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿರುವ 180 ಕೇಂದ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ತೆರವುಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

ಸರ್ಕಾರವೇ ಉಚಿತವಾಗಿ ಔಷಧಿಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡುವಾಗ, ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಔಷಧಗಳ ಮಾರಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ಅವಕಾಶ ಕೊಡುವುದು ಸರಿಯಲ್ಲ.… pic.twitter.com/91j5WNApSO

— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) May 22, 2025

He was responding to queries about the government’s decision to evict Sanjeevini and Jan Aushadhi centres (generic drug stores) from government hospitals.

Rao clarified that the government is not planning to shut down all Jan Aushadhi centres, but only those located within government hospitals. Out of 1,400 Jan Aushadhi centres, only 180 centres located in government hospitals are being considered for closure, he noted.

The minister emphasized that the decision is not aimed at politicising the issue, but rather to ensure that government hospitals do not allow medicine sales when free medicines are already being provided. He added that Jan Aushadhi centres should only sell generic medicines, but some centres have been found to be selling branded medicines.

Rao assured that there is no shortage of medicines in government hospitals and that district health authorities have been empowered to purchase medicines from the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) if needed. He urged the public to avail free medicines from government hospitals and stop the practice of doctors prescribing medicines that need to be purchased from outside.