State Administrative Council has approved Free Drugs Policy for the State with effect from June 1, 2016. Now essential drugs will be provided to the patients at least up to the District Hospital level. Free Drug Policy has laid down that the Central Government will bear 33 per cent cost of the drugs and the State Government will account for the remaining 67 per cent. The Health Department will try to cover 100 per cent patients up to the level of District Hospitals.
This scheme falls under the Centre’s mission of ‘Health for All’. It is a people oriented mission aiming at reducing expenditure of patients on healthcare. Other States have already adopted the scheme but in our State previous Governments made no efforts towards that end. It is amusing that a scheme which was meant to be of big help to the poorer sections of society has never been the concern of State Governments. It goes to the credit of the Governor, who has made it possible for the people of the State to enjoy the benefits of the scheme called Health for All. While we laud this bold and people-friendly measure of the Governor, our concern is that there should not be shortage in the supply of drugs to the hospitals when the scheme is implemented in letter and in spirit. The common complaint of patients is that the drugs are out of stock in the hospital dispensaries. If that continues, then the present effort becomes futile. Therefore, our comment on this amendment focuses on two things; one is regular supply of drugs to the stores and second is a thorough check against fake drugs. If these two conditions are addressed, the scheme will have salutary impact on the people in general and patients in particular.
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