Janaushadhi Saptah 2026 commenced on March 1, 2026 with health check up camps organised across the country to raise awareness about affordable and quality generic medicines. The week long outreach initiative will continue until March 7, culminating in the observance of the eighth Janaushadhi Diwas.
The health camps are being organised by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, from March 1 to March 5, 2026 at more than 250 locations nationwide. The initiative aligns with this year’s theme, Jan Aushadhi Sasti Bhi Bharosemand Bhi Sehat Ki Baat Bachat Ke Saath, emphasising that medicines available under the scheme are both affordable and reliable while contributing to savings and improved health outcomes.
On the first day, camps were conducted at around 50 locations including Subhash Nagar and Ashok Vihar in Delhi, Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, Chandrapura in Jharkhand, Ludhiana in Punjab, Hubballi Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka, Pune in Maharashtra, Chennai and Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Jaipur, Dehradun, Bulandshahr and several districts of Bihar such as Arrah and Sitamadhi.
Each camp recorded strong participation, with an average of about 100 people attending per location. Participants received free medical consultations and medicines. Special emphasis was placed on women and senior citizens, who constituted a significant proportion of the beneficiaries.
The camps provided comprehensive healthcare services beyond routine check ups. These included free blood tests, blood pressure monitoring and thyroid tests. Doctor consultations covered general medicine, management of infections, chronic diseases, paediatric care and specialist services such as nephrology and diabetology in select centres. In addition to consultations, free distribution of Jan Aushadhi medicines was undertaken extensively. Several locations also offered physiotherapy consultations, eye examinations and child health services.
The initiative witnessed active participation from public representatives and community leaders. Eatala Rajendar, Member of Parliament from Malkajigiri, Telangana, attended a health camp and encouraged citizens to adopt quality generic medicines under the scheme. K A Pandian, MLA from Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, Pappu Kumar Verma, MLA from Kurtha, Bihar, and Sanjay Kumar, MLA from Kumrarr, Patna, Bihar, were also present at various camps and appreciated the outreach effort.
The Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana aims to ensure the availability of quality generic medicines at affordable prices through a wide network of Jan Aushadhi Kendras. At present, more than 18,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are operational across the country. The government has set a target to expand the network to 25,000 Kendras by March 31, 2027 to strengthen last mile access to affordable healthcare.
The celebrations under Janaushadhi Saptah 2026 will continue until March 7 with a series of outreach programmes designed to engage healthcare professionals and the general public. Citizens have been encouraged to use the Jan Aushadhi Sugam mobile application to locate the nearest Kendra and access affordable generic medicines.
The ongoing efforts under the scheme are contributing to the strengthening of India’s healthcare system by improving accessibility, promoting cost savings and enhancing public confidence in generic medicines.
