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Under NHM's Free Drugs Service Initiative (FDSI), the Centre funds essential medicines at five facility tiers — from 113 drugs at Sub Health Centres up to 381 at District Hospitals.
The Free Diagnostics Service Initiative similarly provides free pathological/radiological tests, from 14 at Sub Centres to 134 at District Hospitals, to cut patients' out-of-pocket expenditure.
A same-day Department of Pharmaceuticals reply detailed monitoring of FDSI via the DVDMS platform and confirmed PMBJP's target of 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras by March 2027.
Ensure free essential medicines at all public-facility tiers to cut out-of-pocket expenditure
Key: Facility-tiered Essential Medicines List (113 to 381 drugs); funded via NHM Programme Implementation Plans
Provide free pathological/radiological diagnostics closer to the community
Key: Facility-tiered test list (14 to 134 tests) to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure
Make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices via dedicated outlets
Key: Launched November 2008; implementing agency PMBI (est. December 2008); target 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras by March 2027; basket of 2,110 medicines + 315 surgicals/devices
Universal access to equitable, affordable, quality healthcare
Key: Launched 2013 by merging the National Rural Health Mission (2005) and National Urban Health Mission; jointly funded by the Centre and States
Implementing agency of PMBJP; monitors Jan Aushadhi Kendra medicine availability through a network of 5 warehouses and 42 distributors
FDSI/FDI facility tiers at the Sub Health Centre and Primary Health Centre level map onto Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which had crossed 1.81 lakh operational centres by November 2025 against a 2021-26 rollout target.
GS Paper 2 > Governance > Health Schemes
Recurring Parliament reply topic on NHM implementation
Drugs & Vaccine Distribution Management System — an IT platform for real-time monitoring of essential-medicine procurement and stock availability under FDSI.
Direct healthcare spending by a patient/household not reimbursed by insurance or government, a key metric that National Health Policy targets reducing.