It urged the government to ensure that the needy get the essential medicines free of cost at the hospitals.
Published May 30, 2025 | 3:37 PM ⚊ Updated May 30, 2025 | 4:09 PM
The price of the same medicine differs in Janaushadhi Kendras and private pharmacies. (Representational image).
Synopsis: Karnataka orders the closure of Janaushadhi Kendras functioning in government hospitals to uphold its free medicine policy. Health advocates urge urgent reforms to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential drugs.
The Sarvatrika Arogya Andolana – Karnataka (SAA-K), a coalition of 30 networks fighting for ‘Health for All’, has welcomed the state government’s move to close down Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) functioning on the premises of government institutions.
However, the coalition said the closure of 180 PMBJKs was only a first step towards truly universal and free healthcare access.
“Urgent measures must follow to guarantee that no patient is forced to buy medicines, whether from private pharmacies or Janaushadhi stores,” Rajesh Kumar, coordinator of SAA-K, Bangalore Urban District, said.
The government’s move would correct a core contradiction: selling medicines inside government hospitals, where they ought to be supplied for free, he said. The contradiction had been a key concern raised by SAA-K at a meeting attended by the health minister in August 2023.
Referring to the criticism against the closure of PMBJKs, SAA-K said the outlets would continue to operate outside government premises. Over 1,400 stores were functioning across Karnataka, and they would still offer generic medicines at a discount.
Though the coalition supported the closure of PMBJKs on government hospital premises, it said the lack of availability of free medicines in public hospitals was still persisting. It termed it a failure, forcing patients, especially the poor, to spend from their own pockets.
SAA-K urged the state to urgently fix the anomaly by investing in and reforming the Karnataka State Medical Services Corporation Limited (KSMSCL), the government’s medicine procurement body.
“KSMSCL must match the efficiency, transparency, and quality of the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC),” said Ritash, SAA-K member, writer, and LGBTQIA+ peer counsellor. “With better systems, KSMSCL can procure more medicines for the same budget and reduce dependence on PMBJKs.”
The difference in drug prices was making the issue more urgent. For instance, 100 tablets of Amlodipine cost ₹55 at Janaushadhi stores, while the same cost ₹9 when procured via TNMSC, and between ₹154 to ₹252 in the private market.
Similarly, Clopidogrel 75 mg x 100 tablets costs ₹187 at Janaushadhi, ₹48 through TNMSC, but up to ₹743 in private
pharmacies.
“These numbers speak for themselves,” said Asha Kilaru, a public health researcher with SAA-K. “PMBJKs are a poor substitute for robust public procurement. True savings come from public provisioning — not discounted retail.”
Even the NITI Aayog’s recent data, which showed that PMBJKs sold medicines worth ₹935.25 crores in 2023–2024 — reportedly saving people ₹4,680 crores — missed a crucial point: That money still came out of patients’ pockets.
“Much of this expenditure could have been avoided entirely through a stronger public system, like in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, or Kerala,” noted Asha.
Public health researcher Prasanna from SAA-K added, “States like Tamil Nadu demonstrate that it is possible to procure quality medicines at lower costs — on average, 30 percent lower than Janaushadhi prices — thereby ensuring greater savings and overall societal welfare.”
To move toward ‘Health for All’, SAA-K has made a set of recommendations:
● Ensure uninterrupted medicine availability at all government health facilities
● Reform KSMSCL to function with transparency, autonomy, and accountability
● Implement stringent quality checks at the point of delivery
● Use robust forecasting tools to manage stock effectively
● Train doctors in rational drug use and generic prescription practices.
SAA-K has also extended its hand to the government, offering support in strengthening the free medicine distribution programme.
“No patient should be forced to buy medicines outside — whether from private pharmacies or even Jan Aushadhi stores,” said Priya, a community facilitator with Daksha Samuha and SAA-K. “The ultimate goal must be universal access to quality, free medicines in every government facility.”
Beyond medicines, there are other concerns about the accessibility and dignity of care at government hospitals. One SAA-K member pointed out, “We see some hospitals with facilities on the second floor, which is hard to access for senior citizens and pregnant women who are about to deliver.”
“The behaviour of the doctors is another issue. They sometimes don’t even look up at their patient. They just write a prescription and ask them to go and get the medicine,” she added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
