Bangalore: Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda inaugurated the first Janata Bazar outlet to sell generic drugs at 80 per cent discount and branded medicines at half the cost of market price in the capital on June 22, Friday. The CM also launched a 20-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Vani Vilas Hospital and MRI facility in Victoria Hospital’s Radio-Diagnosis Department.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said 20 such outlets would be opened in hospitals run by the Medical Education Department across the State in a month. The whole idea behind opening these outlets is to make all medicines including life-saving and essential drugs, available at highly subsidized costs for patients, he added.

Medical Education Minister S.A. Ramdas said that the stores will have all essential life-saving drugs and surgical implants. People below poverty line will continue to get free medicines, he said and appealed to doctors to prescribe generic drugs to their patients keeping in mind the affordability factor.

Dean and Director of BMCRI O.S. Siddappa, Gopal Gowda, Principal Secretary of Medical Education Department and others were present.