Coimbatore: As part of the public welfare measures aimed at supplying quality medicines at affordable cost, the Chief Minister J. Jayalalthaa inaugurated Amma Pharamacy at the Co-operative Credit Society premises in Velandipalyam at a cost of Rs 10 lakh through video conferencing on Sunday.
Besides Coimbatore, 15 Amma Pharmacies were also opened at Dindugul, Karur, Pudukottai, Thiruvannamalai, Tirupur, Sivagangai and Thoothukudi districts to a tune of Rs 1.5 crore. As announced by the Chief Minister, nearly 100 Amma pharmacies are to be opened across the state to a tune of Rs 20 crore.
In June last year, 10 Amma pharmacies were inaugurated at Kanchipuram, Cuddalore, Madurai, Erode, Salem and Sivagangai at a cost of Rs 10 lakh each. There are 84 pharmacies functioning across the state aimed at selling quality medicines at affordable cost for the public. The medicines sold in these pharmacies are 15 per cent less than the actual price. From June last year to May this year, the pharmacies have sold drugs to a tune of Rs 12.3 crore.
On Sunday, the Chief Minister opened pharmacies at 16 places to a tune of Rs 1.60 crore. Most of these pharmacies were situated near bus stops, markets and other crowded areas. Refrigerators have been provided to the Amma Pharmacies in order to preserve life saving drugs. Staff members of the co-operative society trained in computers have been engaged to work at the pharmacies. Each of the pharmacies will also have qualified pharmacists.
