Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday indicated that his government may bring in a legal framework under which doctors will have to prescribe generic medicines, which are cheaper than the equivalent branded drugs, to patients.
Mr Modi said his government brought in a health policy after 15 years and capped the prices of medicines and stents, which has angered some pharmaceutical companies.
Speaking at the inauguration of a charitable hospital here, he exhorted the wealthy people to come forward and contribute towards the health care of the needy people. This country has not been built by the kings and leaders alone but also by the power of the people, he said.
“Doctors write prescriptions in such a way that poor people do not understand the handwriting, and he has to buy that medicine from private stores at high prices,” Mr Modi said.
“We will bring in a legal framework by which if a doctor writes a prescription, he has to write in a way that it will be enough for patients to buy generic medicines and he not any other medicine,” he said.
“In our country doctors are less, hospitals are less and medicines are expensive. If a person falls seriously ill in a family, then the financial health of the family gets wrecked. He cannot buy a house, cannot conduct the marriage of his daughter,” he pointed out. “It is the government's responsibility that everybody should get health services at cheap rates,” the Prime Minister said.
