Will Indian Government Be Able To Provide Free Drugs?

Bangalore:  Health economist and advisor to the High-Level Expert Group on Universal Health Care (HLEG), S Selvaraj says that tackling lack of doctors in India will take time to sort out, but providing free drugs can be done immediately. The HLEG has asked for distribution of free drugs as the way forward.

The Planning Commission has allocated Rs 100 crore for the same. As per this policy anyone who walks into a government health facility can get free medicines. The entire programme, though, is estimated to cost Rs 28,560 crore over the 12th five year plan says Nirmalya Dutta for health.india.com. 

Currently only 22 percent of the country’s 1.17 billion have access to public healthcare. The government estimates this number will reach 52 percent by 2017. They are planning to provide generic medicines at 1.6 lakh sub-centres, 23,000 primary health centres, 5,000 community health centres and 640 district hospitals. 

To attain this the ministry has sent the National List of Essential Medicines (NELD) 2011 which includes 348 drugs including anti-AIDS, analgesics, anti-ulcers, anti-psychotic, sedatives, anaesthetic agents, lipid lowering agents, steroids and anti-platelet drugs, to all the states to use as reference. 

The states have also been asked to create their own lists of important drugs keeping in mind the geography and demographics of the state and the diseases that affect those places. The Centre plans on bearing 75 percent of the costs for the state medicines.  5 percent of the funds will be used to purchase drugs outside the essential list. The cabinet has also approved a proposal to set up a Central Procurement Agency for bulk order of drugs. Additional secretary in the ministry L C Goyal said a scientific committee will have to prepare the EDL list for the states.