From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Feb 27: Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers D V Sadananda Gowda said India will be self-sufficient in the manufacture of drugs and medical equipments in the next three years.

Addressing a Janaushadi distribution and blood donation camp organized by the R R Institute and Lions Club in the city on Saturday, he said the Narendra Modi government has embarked on a programme to become self-sufficient in the manufacture of drugs and medical equipments in the next three years and has been implementing several schemes.

India has emerged as the third largest manufacturer of generic medicines in the world, he said pointing out that the country managed to supply hydroxicholoroquin, paraceutemal and other essential drugs to as many as 120 countries during the Covid 19 pandemic period.

However, the country was dependent on China for the basic chemicals like API, KSM for most of the drugs manufacture. As a result, the country has established three bulk drug manufacturing industrial clusters to solve the problems. Similarly, India has started a programme for manufacture of 85 per cent of the medical equipments in the country and has established four medical device parks. It will take at least another three years for all these efforts to bear fruit, he said.

The Minister the budget for the year 2021-22 had allocated Rs 1.19 lakh crore for providing incentives to the manufacturing sector with an allocation of Rs 50,000 crore for the Chemicals and Fertilisers ministry.

Gowda said it was unfortunate that people in the country were spending 15 to 30 % of their annual income on medicines and healthcare and emphasized that the Centre was trying its best to ensure that the medical treatment was made available to all citizens at affordable rates through Janaushadi scheme and Ayushman Bharat programme.

As many as 1,439 types of drugs and 235 medical equipments were available under the Janaushadi medicines basket, he said adding that 7,500 Janaushadi centres had been opened in 734 districts all over the country. The Centre is keen to ensure that medicine and healthcare facilities were easily made available in rural areas and the poorest sections of society.

He said the Centre was keen to open Janaushadi centres in all government hospitals in Karnataka and indicated that he has already discussed the issue with State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar.

The Minister launched the ‘Blood Donours’ app prepared by the RR College. RR College Management Committee President Raja Reddy presided. Former MLA S Muniraju and Lions District Governor Raghavendra and other office-bearers participated in the programme.