Jaipur: Rajasthan's free medicine scheme, launched by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, now ranks first in the country in terms of implementation and operation, all thanks to the new BJP government in the state which set aside doubts of the future of the project by strengthening it all the more.
Rajasthan has secured maximum points overall in all parameters including the number of approved medicines in the scheme, available rate contracts, availability of medicines across medical institutions. As per official data, as many as 1,828 medicines have been approved under the free medicine scheme in the 'Lands of Kings'.
Managing Director of Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation, Neha Giri said, "As per the ranking released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Rajasthan is on top when it comes to operation of the free medicine scheme."
She said that the Drugs and Vaccines Distribution System (DVDMS) dashboard was created by the Government of India in April 2019 to compile information on the progress of the free medicine scheme operated in multiple states.
As per this dashboard, Rajasthan secured 76.78 marks and has consistently been among the leading states in the operation of this scheme, Giri said. "Telangana has secured the second position on the dashboard with 75 marks," she added.
Ranking is determined on the basis of 10 parameters including number of medical institutions under the scheme, stock of medicines, online supply, quality checking, expiry status of medicines, time taken in supply. The total marks allotted is 100.
In March, the health department had said that it would ensure that all essential medicines prescribed by the doctors are available at the Drug Distribution Counters (DDCs). Giri had been inspecting and taking rounds across all government hospitals to ensure that the scheme was implemented stringently for the benefit of the poor and needy.
The free medicine scheme was launched in Rajasthan on October 2, 2011, for patients availing treatment at the government hospitals.
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