Chhattisgarh Government’s health schemes have made a positive impact in improving healthcare service delivery across the state
People living in urban slums are getting access to quality health care through MMUs
High-quality generic medicine available at a nominal price at Dhanwantri Medical Stores
Raipur,’Mukhyamantri Slum Swasthya Yojana’ and ‘Shree Dhanwantri Medical Generic Medical Store Scheme’ initiated by the Chhattisgarh Government to make healthcare accessible and affordable for all–especially people living in urban slums–have made a positive impact in improving healthcare service delivery across the state.
Under ‘Mukhyamantri Slum Swasthya Yojana’ run by Urban Administration and Development Department, people living in slums in urban areas are getting facilities of free-of-cost health checkups, medical tests, treatment, and medicines through dedicated Mobile Medical Units (MMUs). Similarly, people are getting relief from hefty medicine bills with the launch of ‘Shree Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store Yojana’ where citizens are getting high-quality generic medicines at heavy discounts. Both schemes have helped in making quality healthcare accessible and affordable even for the people living in slums.
With the inception of ‘Mukhyamantri Slum Swasthya Yojana’ on November 01, 2020, health care services were being provided by doctors and paramedics through 60 dedicated mobile medical units in the first phase in all 14 municipal corporations. Expanding the scope of the scheme, 60 more mobile medical units were roped in the scheme for Nagar Palikas and Nagar Panchayats in the second phase starting from March 31, 2022. So far, about 39,000 camps have been organized and free-of-cost treatment has been provided to about 27 lakh patients.
On this line, the first-of-its-kind ‘Mukhyamantri Dai-Didi Clinic Yojana’ has also been started with an aim to provide essential healthcare services to girls and women living in slums through MMUs by an all-women staff. Under this scheme, treatment has been provided to more than 1.18 lakh women in Raipur, Bilaspur, and Bhilai Municipal Corporations.
Under the ‘Shree Dhanwantri Medical Generic Medical Store Scheme’, medical stores have been opened in all 169 urban bodies of the state. For this, about 194 shops were identified by the urban bodies, out of which 190 shops have been started. Nearly 329 types of generic medicines, and 28 surgical items are available at discounted rates in these stores. Besides, it has been made mandatory for government doctors to prescribe generic medicines. In a bid to ensure the quality of the medicine, the store operators have been instructed to stock generic medicines from reputed companies in the country.
Meanwhile, this scheme was launched by Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel on October 20, 2021. On this day, about 87 shops were inaugurated across the state. Currently, more than 190 Dhanwantri Generic Medical Stores are being operated in the state. In the upcoming phase, arrangements will also be made for home delivery of medicines from these shops. Medicines for common ailments like cold, cough, fever, and for other diseases like diabetes and blood pressure as well as surgical items are available in the store at a minimum 50 per cent discount. The shops for operating these medical stores have been provided to the store operators at a very nominal rate of Rs. 2 per sq. ft.