Telangana: Generic medical stores to be opened in PACS
In order to provide quality medicines to rural people at lower prices, the Centre decided to open generic medical stores in PACS.
Karimnagar: Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, which are successfully running agriculture-based businesses, are going to enter into the pharmacy sector in the near future. Besides continuing their old businesses, PACSs are going to run generic medical shops on their premises.
In order to provide quality medicines to rural people at lower prices, the Centre decided to open generic medical stores in PACS. It may be recalled here that the Centre had already decided to convert the societies into Common Service Centres to provide more services to rural people on par with Mee Seva centres.
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Though guidelines for the generic medical stores are not yet finalized, they are expected to fulfill the pharmacy needs of rural poor suffering from diseases such as cancer, blood pressure and diabetes among other diseases.
Presently, besides sanctioning short and long term loans through District Cooperative Central Bank, seeds, fertilizer and pesticides are also being supplied to farmers by PACS. Some of the societies, which have constructed godowns, are renting them to store agricultural products.
Though some of the societies had successfully operated petrol bunks, they had been closed as the central government stopped the supply of subsidized fuel to bulk consumers.
Initially, generic medical stores will be established on a pilot basis in few PACS, which are successfully operating financial, agriculture and its allied activities. Later, they will be opened in all societies in a phased manner, officials said.
Four societies have been selected from each district. In Karimnagar, Choppadandi, Huzurabad, Jammikunta and Karimnagar societies are selected, sources said.
There are 128 PACSs in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. While 95,726 farmers have membership in societies, 1700 employees are working.
