New Delhi, Mar 12 (IANS): About 10 to 12 lakh people visit Jan Aushadhi Kendras every day in the country, said Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, here on Tuesday.

The minister said this while inaugurating a credit assistance programme for Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the national Capital.

“Medicines which are affordable and accessible are an essential requirement for any society. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has called them ‘Sanjeevani’ for the poor. From just 80 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in 2014, around 11,000 units are now operating across the country,” Dr Mandaviya said.

“It is estimated that around 10 to 12 lakh people visit these Jan Aushadhi Kendras every day, providing them with significant savings and access to requisite medicines,” he added.

The government aims to increase the number of such centres to 25,000 in the next two years.

Currently, the centres provide about 2,000 types of medicines and 300 types of surgical devices.

The Union minister noted that to make these Kendras efficient, the government made the procurement process robust, expanded the product range, maintained a regular supply chain network as well as ensured stringent quality checks and controls.

He also emphasised that the government provided financial assistance to individual operators of these centres, including additional assistance for those located in remote and hilly regions, to encourage them to open these kendras.

In line with this, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) on Tuesday signed two MoUs.

“These MoUs would emerge as a blessing for small and new entrepreneurs of Jan Aushadhi Kendras,” the minister said.