No Increase Effected By Govt In Medicine Prices, Says Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

The government plays no part in the cost of these drugs and it has not affected any expansion in costs and it has no plans to do as such, Mandaviya said.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (AFP photo)

New Delhi: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday has clarified the government's stand on essential medicines and that the govt has not affected any medicine price hike and the government does not control medical prices.

"There are some essential medicines linked to WPI that can see rise or fall automatically as per the WPI movement. These are drugs that are priced a few rupees and therefore, a 10 per cent WPI increase may lead to the price rising by a few paise," Mandaviya said.

The government plays no part in the cost of these drugs and it has not affected any expansion in costs and it has no plans to do as such, he said.

The costs of these medications additionally naturally decline when WPI falls, Mandaviya told journalists.

The worries have been brought up in certain quarters after the medication valuing authority NPPA late permitted a cost climb for planned drugs, which are under cost control under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), with impact from April.

These medications incorporate paracetamol, antibiotics used to treat bacterial diseases, anti-anemia, vitamins, and minerals.

Meanwhile, Mandaviya flagged off 33 ambulances from Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi. Out of 33, a total of 13 are advanced life-saving ambulances, while 20 are basic life-saving.

The ambulances are a part of the first group of medical vehicles being dispatched to improve the health and disaster response capacity of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) branches. As part of the funds allocated for the COVID-19 response in India, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has earmarked certain funds for ALS ambulances, BLS ambulances, mobile health units and mobile blood collection vans.