The ambitious proposal for providing free generic medicines through public healthcare facilities as part of the universal health coverage seems to have been buried under the weight of the national food security scheme which the Centre has recently launched and views as a more attractive scheme to woo the voters.

After the initial hype following the recommendation by the panel of planning commission and announcements by the government, the scheme is yet to take a concrete shape and the Centre has pushed the universal health coverage aside while latching on to the national food security in view of the impending elections.

When contacted, a senior official in the health ministry said the scheme as such for universal coverage is not being followed. But, the government has made an outlay of Rs.16,000 crore to supply essential medicines through the central and state schemes during the current Plan period.

According to the initial calculations, the government required Rs.30,000 crore for supplying free drugs through the public healthcare facilities. But no separate outlay was created for this purpose and the scheme was yet to be formally launched.

It is learnt that the government is slow-peddling on the health coverage in view of the huge burden that the food security scheme would incur. According to government estimates, the food security will cost Rs.124,723 crore per year. Going by the calculations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) of the Ministry of Agriculture, the cost for the scheme over the three year period could be Rs.682,163 crore.

However, the government still maintained that there was a scheme to supply essential medicines to the patients availing treatments in public health facilities. “The initiative is based on the Tamil Nadu model where free medicines procured in bulk by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), in generic name, directly from the manufacturers is supplied through an IT enabled supply chain management system to the public,” according to official sources.

“Public Health is a state subject; the primary responsibility of providing healthcare including free essential medicines rests with the State Governments. The State Governments are provided financial support under the National Health Mission, based on demands projected by State Governments, for overall health system strengthening including support for provision of free essential drugs in public health facilities. This support is subject to states setting up robust procurement and IT enabled logistic systems, quality assurance systems, having facility wise essential drug lists (EDLs), standard treatment guidelines and prescription audits,” official sources said.

“Additional incentive up to five per cent of state’s total resource outlay is also available if the state has a clearly articulated policy for free distribution of essential drugs in public health facilities. More than Rs.1500 crore had been approved for drugs under NRHM in the year 2012-13. Rs.1380 crore have been approved for drugs till date during 2013-14,” according to the sources.