The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India based in Chhattisgarh, is set to become the first coal company to establish AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) Pharmacies in its hospitals. This initiative follows an MoU signed between SECL and HLL Lifecare Ltd, a Public Sector Unit under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
The project’s first phase will see the establishment of AMRIT stores at SECL headquarters in Bilaspur and Central Hospitals in Gevra, Sohagpur, and Chirimiri. These pharmacies will be instrumental in ensuring the availability of both generic and branded lifesaving drugs, offering medicines, implants, and surgical consumables for both common and critical conditions at substantially reduced prices. This initiative is expected to benefit both inpatients and outpatients, including SECL employees and the general public visiting these hospitals.
A significant aspect of this initiative is the direct supply of medicines to employees through AMRIT pharmacies, which is anticipated to reduce medical reimbursements. This strategy is intended to facilitate judicious use of medical resources while maintaining access to quality medicines.
The AMRIT scheme was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to provide medicines for various diseases, including critical illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular diseases, at highly subsidized rates. As of now, there are over 300 AMRIT pharmacies operating across different States and Union Territories in India.
This collaboration between SECL and HLL Lifecare marks a critical step towards enhancing healthcare services and making essential medical supplies more accessible and affordable, especially to the employees of SECL and the wider community.