Lok Sabha Question No. 3826 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Local purchase of AYUSH medicines under CGHS
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: S. Ramalingam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3826 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2022

## LOCAL PURCHASE OF AYUSH MEDICINES UNDER CGHS

## 3826. SHRI RAMALINGAM S.:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  put  in  place  effective  mechanism  allowing  local  purchase  of  medicines, authorized local chemists and medical reimbursement facilities in AYUSH Wellness Centres of CGHS in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor;
- (c) the total number of CGHS beneficiaries/patients who availed the facilities under each of such initiatives/ arrangements along with total amount spent for the same during last three years, unit-wise and dispensary wise particularly in Siddha units;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to expand and open new AYUSH Wellness Centres particualry Siddha Wellness Centres in the country; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  to  (e):  Formulary  medicines  are  sufficiently  available  in  AYUSH  dispensaries/  units  under  Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). Purchase of medicines through Authorized Local Chemists (ALCs) is made only in case of those medicines prescribed by specialists outside the formulary. Repeated tendering for the appointment of ALCs for the supply of medicines in AYUSH dispensaries/ units under CGHS has not yielded results. However, following options are available to the beneficiaries in case of non-availability of prescribed medicines in AYUSH dispensaries/ units:

(i)  They  may  collect  medicines  indented  through  ALCs  from AYUSH dispensaries/ units after the supply thereof reaches the concerned dispensary/ unit.

(ii) They may purchase the prescribed medicines from open market and claim reimbursement thereof.

Medical reimbursement facility under the scheme is decentralized. Payment to the serving beneficiaries is made  by  the  concerned  Ministry/  Department  from  its  own  Budget  Head.  Payment  to  the  pensioner beneficiaries is made by CGHS. However, bifurcation thereof into AYUSH and Allopathy is not maintained under the scheme.

Opening  of  53  AYUSH  units  (26  Ayurvedic  and  27  Homeopathic)  in  the  country  is  approved  by Government. Details thereof are as under: -

Ayurvedic  units: Guwahati,  Vishakhapatnam,  Gandhinagar,  Faridabad,  Shimla,  Jammu,  Ranchi,  Bhopal, Jabalpur,  Indore,  Shillong,  Dehradun,  Ghaziabad,  Greater  Noida,  Indirapuram,  Noida,  Sahibabad  and Chandigarh Raipur, Puducherry, Aizawl, Agartala, Panaji, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar.

Homeopathic units: Visakhapatnam, Gandhinagar, Faridabad, Gurugram, Shimla, Jammu, Ranchi, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore, Shillong, Dehradun, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Indirapuram, Noida, Sahibabad, Chandigarh, Bhubaneshwar, Raipur, Puducherry, Aizawl, Agartala, Panaji, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar.