SHILLONG: Affordable Medicines and Retail Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Pharmacy scheme was launched on Thursday at Civil Hospital, Shillong by Health Minister Roshan Warjri.
AMRIT is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to provide medicines for cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases at a discounted rate.
Warjri in her speech said that AMRIT is not only available to Civil Hospital patients but to the public at large.
She added, “AMRIT pharmacy will be open in 9 other hospitals in the state which includes Ganesh Das Hospital. Nongstoin Civil Hospital, Jowai Civil Hospital, Nongpoh Civil Hospital, Tura Civil Hospital, Tura MCH, Baghmara Civil Hospital etc.”
Warjri also urged the hospital staff and doctors to “continue their culture of compassion” as she heard of report from patients who are happy with how the doctors and staff deal with patients.
Mission Director, HM Shangpliang said that as on July 31 there are 30.68 lakhs patients who have been benefitted from AMRIT pharmacies and saved Rs 164.10 crores thereby reducing the out of pocket expenditure.
“AMRIT pharmacies will be linked with Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme in a bid to provide free dugs to the respective beneficiaries,” he said.
Shangpliang stated that the government is committed to provide better healthcare services to the people.
Shillong is the 85th store and AMRIT pharmacies are spread across 19 districts across the country and 7 Union Territories. There are 24 AMRIT stores across the country.
The first AMRIT outlet opened at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi on November 2015.
The Union Ministry has nominated HLL Lifecare Ltd. as the implementing agency of the scheme.
Later, speaking to reporters HLL, regional manager (East), Rupa Chakraborty said that a list of medicines are mentioned in the software and medicines are given at a discount of 50 per cent to all the drugs after people produce valid prescription.
“There are few products that are having up to 60 per cent discount,” she added.
When asked on the stock of medicines, she said, “The software tells us which of the medicine is exhausted. Before it goes out of stock, we fill up the medicine.”
