The West Bengal government has decided to establish Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) at 16 state-run medical colleges and hospitals under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, aiming to make quality medicines available to patients at significantly lower prices. The initiative marks a notable policy shift for the state, which had not previously integrated the central scheme into its government-run health facilities.

Why the PPP Model Was Chosen

Officials in the State Health and Family Welfare Department said the PPP route was selected to ensure efficient day-to-day operations and sustained maintenance of the centres, in addition to keeping medicine prices affordable. 'Besides setting up and running these PMBJKs, proper maintenance of the centres is another important consideration. This is also one of the reasons behind the decision to adopt the PPP model,' a Health and Family Welfare Department official said.

The tendering process to identify and select private organisations for setting up and operating the centres is already under way. 'Instructions have been issued to complete the tendering process quickly and select private organisations that meet the prescribed standards so that the centres can be launched at the earliest,' the official added.

Where the Centres Will Come Up

In the first phase, all 16 PMBJKs will be located within medical college and hospital campuses across the state. Of these, 11 centres will be situated in Kolkata, making the capital the focal point of the rollout. The remaining five will be distributed one each across the districts of Nadia, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, West Midnapore, and Howrah, according to the department.

A Break from the Previous Government's Stance

The move represents a clear departure from the approach of the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, which, according to reports, had not taken any initiative to introduce the PMBJK scheme in state-run medical colleges and hospitals. Several other state governments had adopted the model in preceding years.

Sources at the state secretariat, Nabanna, indicated that West Bengal's engagement with various welfare programmes of the Union government has accelerated since the new government took office under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The Janaushadhi Kendra expansion is described as part of that broader realignment between the state and central governments.

What This Means for Patients

PMBJKs stock generic medicines at prices that are typically far lower than branded equivalents, offering relief to patients who rely on government hospitals for treatment. By embedding these outlets within medical college campuses — where patient footfall is among the highest in the state — the initiative could directly benefit a large segment of lower-income patients who currently bear significant out-of-pocket medicine costs.

With tendering already in motion, the state government's timeline points toward an early launch, though an official inauguration date has not yet been announced.