Centre ask states to open AMRIT pharmacies

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) The Centre has asked stategovernments to consider opening AMRIT pharmacies, which sellsdrugs at a highly discounted rates, to reduce the expenditureincurred by common patients on treatment of cancer and heartdiseases. "We have now 12 Affordable Medicines and ReliableImplants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlets across the country.More than 2141 drugs (including cardiovascular, cancer,diabetes, stents, etc) for treatment of cancer andcardiovascular diseases are being sold through AMRIT at adiscount of more than 70 per cent to the patients," HealthMinister J P Nadda said while inaugurating the three outlets. The three outlets were inaugurated by him through videoconferencing at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Instituteof Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, theRegional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, and AllIndia Institute Medical Sciences (AIIMS)in Jodhpur in thepresence of Minister of State for DONER Jitendra Singh. "The AMRIT clinics have sold drugs worth Rs 28 crores asper the MRP. However, the costs to the patients through theseoutlets have only been Rs 9 crores. This has resulted insaving of Rs 19 crores out of pocket expenditure to thepatients," Nadda said. Nadda said that the benefits of the AMRIT clinics can beavailed by both in-patients as well as out-patients and around300 outlets will be started by the end of this year while thebasket of choices of drugs will also be enhanced. "We are exploring the possibility of scaling up thefacility and also making it accessible to larger number ofpeople in various parts of the country. "The state governments have been informed about the AMRITpharmacies and have been advised to consider opening suchpharmacies," Nadda said while adding that he would urgemedical colleges in states to come and take up this facility. AMRIT project has been floated in a tie-up withgovernment-owned HLL Lifecare Ltd (HLL) which is mandated toestablish and run the AMRIT chain of pharmacies across thecountry. Jitendra Singh said that this initiative is going to be abig boost to the healthcare in the region. "It will not only go a long way in providingcost-effective medicines to lower strata of the society butthrough this we will also have a healthcare system that willbe more trustworthy," he said. PTI TDSRG