Lucknow: In order to provide quality medicines at cheaper prices to those from the economically weaker sections, over 1,000 jan aushadhi kendras would be opened in Uttar Pradesh, it was announced on Thursday.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed on Thursday between the Centre and the state government in the presence of Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Lal Mandaviya.

State Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh and Minister of State for Health Mahendra Singh were also present on the occasion.

The shops will be opened under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme.

The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), a body under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, signed the MoU on behalf of the Centre with the State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHIS), which represented the Uttar Pradesh government.

Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya said according to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre's priority under the PMBJP scheme was to provide "quality medicines at affordable prices to the poor and marginalised sections of the society".

He added that the medicines available under the scheme met the highest quality benchmarks and were made available by the government at a "much lower price", compared to their branded counterparts.

"The prices of cardiac stents have been reduced by almost 85 per cent, which would benefit the poor patients, who could not afford them earlier," Mandaviya said.

Under the scheme, over 600 medicines and 150 surgical and other medical items were being made available at affordable prices at the jan aushadhi kendras opened across the country, he added.

"The number of medicines available under the scheme would soon be increased to 1,000. The Centre is also giving a financial assistance of up to Rs 2.5 lakh to those who open the kendras under the scheme," said the minister.

Singh said the jan aushadhi kendras would be opened in government hospitals and community health centres, "so that more and more poor and marginalised people get the benefits of the scheme".

He added that the state cabinet had already approved the opening of the stores in the hospitals and the allotment of around 400 jan aushadhi kendras had already taken place.

On the occasion, Mandaviya also launched the PMBJP website for Uttar Pradesh.

The website would help the people know more about the scheme, the location of the jan aushadhi kendras, availability of medicines and their prices, he added.

The PMBJP scheme was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through the pradhan mantri bhartiya jan aushadhi kendras.