Call it music therapy. The Kerala government has resolved to set up an agency to ensure supply of life-saving drugs at affordable price, thanks to an initiative by playback singer KJ Yesudas. After a meeting with the living legend who had offered to buy life-saving medicines for poor patients, health minister PK Sreemathi said no-profit, no-less medical shops would be opened in all 14 districts.
“The state government can’t do anything on the pricing of life-saving medicines. But we are going to source medicines at lower prices and sell it at our outlets, eliminating commissions and passing the relief to patients,” she said.
The minister, who met Yesudas in Kochi last week, said she would consider the 12-point charter of demands submitted by Janapaksham, a Kochi-based voluntary organisation patronised by the singer. The organisation wants the government to license it the setting up of fair-price medical stores across the state. It moots displaying the difference in factory price and final price at retail outlets.
The minister also hinted at stopping the nexus between overpricing drug companies and medical practitioners. “We are thinking of implementing a regime in which doctors prescribe generic names of medicines, instead of brand names. Though the state government is powerless in controlling the maximum retail price, we will pressure the Union government to rein in the manufacturers,” she said.
Yesudas, who had gone public with his anguish over the prohibiting price of life-saving drugs, hopes the government would have its way. “It is in no way justifiable that pharma companies are allowed to loot like this,” he said.
The new plan is to give a fair-price shop to each district on the model of Dhanwanthari Society at Ernakulam General Hospital. “A drug costing Rs2,500 in the open market is available for Rs450 here,” Sreemathi said.
