Soon: Janaushadhi outlets at railway stations, hospitals

The railways will allow its premises to be used for opening Janaushadhi outlets across the country, including stations and hospitals, to make medicines available to the common man at affordable prices.

The Janaushadhi campaign is launched by the government to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through special outlets -- the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.

"We have decided to set up Janausadhi stores at railway stations, dispensaries, workshops and wherever possible on rail premises," Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said here on Tuesday.

The aim is to provide generic drugs at cheaper process to the public including railwaymen, Prabhu said.

The ministry of chemicals and fertilisers and railway ministry today announced an in-principle agreement under which such stores would be opened across various operations of railways, including stations and hospitals, among others.

"We have agreed in-principle to set up Janaushadhi stores across the railway infrastructure, including stations, hospitals etc," Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.

Officials from both the ministries will work out the modalities of the scheme and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will then be inked, he added.