Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader on Monday said the State government would ensure the success of generic medicine outlets that will sell unbranded pharmaceutical products offering a concession of 80 per cent.
Taking a potshot at Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers H.N. Ananth Kumar for reportedly stating that he (Mr. Khader) had not shown interest in signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Union government to offer generic medicines to people, Mr. Khader said Mr. Kumar had a lot of other things to do and should concentrate on them.
Centre’s plan a failure
He said the Centre’s plans to offer generic medicines had failed elsewhere because the medicines were being procured from only six sources.
His government was taking measures to ensure that this did not happen in Karnataka. “We will not allow it to fail,” he said.
In addition, the State was ensuring that the outlets sold branded medicines too, so that those purchasing generic medicines need not go to other outlets only to purchase a few non-generic medicines recommended by their doctors.
Besides, these outlets would “function 24 x 7”, he said.
He said the first outlet offering generic medicines would come up at K.C. General Hospital in Bengaluru and work on building an outlet in Mangaluru had begun.
The Minister said that the State government would soon offer an accident insurance scheme for people.
