Poor Patients Suffer As Generic Stores In GGH Closed Down

KURNOOL: Abrupt closure of the two generic drug stores in the Kurnool Government General Hospital (GGH) has upset the poor and low-income patients who are unable to afford the high prices of branded medicines.

The hospital authorities said the closure was done due to irregularities. But, the MEPMA groups, responsible for operating the stores, said they did not receive advance notice for the closure.

The medical stores were established under the Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Bharatiya Pariyojana (PMBJP), a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at providing generic medicines at affordable prices.

As of March this year, there were 9,303 shops across the country, including 180 shops in districts spanning both AP and TS.

Under the PMBJP scheme, the central government provides a one-time incentive of ' 5 lakh to store owners or organisations promoted by state governments. The prices of generic drugs offered at these stores are 50 to 90 per cent lower than the prices of branded drugs in the open market.

The generic drugs are tested by the national accreditation board for testing and calibration laboratories to ensure quality and are procured from WHO-certified suppliers.

There are 26 Janaushadhi generic medical stores in Kurnool and Nandyal districts. Two of these are at the Kurnool GGH, which is affiliated with the government medical college. One store is at the GGH in Nandyal. The remaining 23 stores are run by private individuals, offering fewer discounts on medicines to the local population.

Due to the unaffordable prices of branded medicines, more and more people have started buying medicines from these generic drug stores in recent times.

K Mallesam from the B-Camp area said that he and many others have been relying on these shops for a decade to buy their medicines. These stores have even provided medicines on credit basis. If the shops are permanently closed, Mallesam and others will have to spend a lot every month to purchase medicines from private medical stores.

In Kurnool city, two stores were allotted to the Sri Shakthi Pattana Mahila Samakhya and Little Roses Pattana Mahila Samkhya by MEPMA in 2014. These have gained popularity due to their daily sales and steady business. However, there have been allegations that members of the Mahila Samakhya are not adhering to the prescribed prices and are selling medicines from agencies other than the generic ones.

Recently, the hospital authorities seized these two shops located in the hospital, impacting the lives of the poor.

As per the agreement, the shop organisers at the GGH should receive 50 per cent of the profit, while the other 50 per cent is meant for the hospital's development.

T. Kullayamma, President of Little Roses Pattana Mahila Samakhya, who runs a shop in the hospital premises, said she has not received any notice from the hospital about any irregularity. “We have been promptly paying rent, revenue shares, GST and other dues, and renewing the shop licence. We provide medicines to patients with maximum discounts,” she added.

In fact, in the city, one or two popular chain stores offer a 10-20 per cent discount to patients for purchases above '1,000. However, there are no such restrictions in the stores in the GGH premises. Most stores in the city charge patients the full price.

Some patients suggest that another group or government organisation should take the responsibility for running the two closed drug stores to ensure the availability of affordable medicines to the poor.

The PMBJP was originally launched in 2008 by the UPA government, which was later expanded in more beneficial ways to the ordinary people by the Modi government in 2015.