In a major healthcare push, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has announced the opening of Abua Medical Stores across Jharkhand to provide free medicines to the poor.
The decision was revealed during a review meeting on preparations for the nationwide ‘Healthy Women–Empowered Families’ campaign, which will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Indore on September 17.
In Jharkhand, the campaign will be observed until October 2 with health camps at panchayat, block and medical college levels.
Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari, who briefed the Chief Minister on the campaign, said that around 700 Abua Medical Stores will be opened in the first phase, with more to follow in the coming months.
He added that the Chief Minister had made it clear that medicines must reach every remote corner of the state so that no poor person loses their life for want of treatment.
“This is not just a welfare measure but a lifeline for Jharkhand’s poor,” the minister said.
According to officials, the Abua Medical Stores will function in a manner similar to the Jan Aushadhi Kendras but with a crucial difference. While Jan Aushadhi outlets offer low-cost generic medicines, the state’s new medical stores will provide essential drugs completely free of charge.
Procurement will be carried out centrally by the Health Department and supplies will be distributed through district warehouses to ensure quality and an uninterrupted stock.
The stores will stock medicines for common ailments such as fever, infections, diabetes, hypertension and maternal health, along with essential life-saving drugs.
They will be located near government hospitals, community health centres and even in rural panchayats to ensure last-mile delivery.
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Officials are also considering the use of digital monitoring systems to track inventory and prevent shortages.
The government expects that the scheme will significantly reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses for families living below the poverty line and reinforce public trust in the state’s healthcare system.
Experts note that this step goes beyond the scope of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, which offers subsidised drugs but still requires patients to make payments.
By offering medicines free of charge, Jharkhand aims to remove even that barrier for its most vulnerable citizens.
“Now no one in Jharkhand will die due to lack of medicines,” he remarked, calling it a visionary initiative that would empower the underprivileged.
Political observers believe that the timing of the announcement, coinciding with a nationwide health awareness campaign, shows that the state government wants to link immediate health drives with long-term systemic reforms.
As Jharkhand prepares to join the national campaign with health camps and screenings for women and adolescent girls, the rollout of Abua Medical Stores is being seen as a landmark decision.
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