Secretary Cooperatives, Babila Rakwal, today took stock of measures being taken up by the department regarding establishment of economically viable Jan Aushadi Kendras under PMBJK by the Cooperatives in each district of the UT. The meeting besides the Additional Registrars Jammu/Kashmir was attended by Deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars and other concerned officers.
The Secretary impressed upon the Additional Registrars and Deputy Registrars to ensure functioning of a minimum of one Jan Aushadi Kendra in each district. She directed them to ensure functionality of such kendras by the first week of March this year.
She observed that securing a drug license by virtue of the association with PACS should act as an advantage for qualified pharmacists. She said that such pharmacists should be made an inalienable members of such societies with full rights and stakes like other members. She asked for taking appropriate measures suitable for the location to start functioning of drug stores.
The Secretary asked for turning maximum numbers into drug stores by encouraging the identified pharmacists. She also asked for increasing the sales of such stores by popularizing them among the public with all the benefits. She advised for identifying such public health institutions where there is no presence of these stores nearby essentially in far off areas of the UT.
She asked for looking into having long term tie ups with such institutions for maximizing benefits for all the associated stakeholders. Earlier, the Additional Registrars revealed that for each district 5 Jan Aushadi Kendras have been set, out of which, 32 have been made functional. In addition, 42 have applied for drug license and 98 out of 101 applicants have obtained PMBI approvals pre-requisite for establishing such stores, he added.
The meeting was further apprised that the Deputy Registrars are in constant touch with different stakeholders including the health institutions, Pharmacy Council and Controller Drugs office for enhancing the pace of establishment of such medicine stores for the benefit of public at large.