North 24 Parganas leads West Bengal in the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras, with a total of 203 centers. Kolkata follows with 162, while both Hooghly and Howrah have established 109 centers each. These facilities aim to provide affordable medicines to the public, contributing to healthcare accessibility across the state.
Kolkata: More than 1,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are operational across Bengal, with 469 more set to open in govt hospitals, bringing quality generic medicines within reach of every household at 50-90% lower prices than branded alternatives, BJP functionary Amit Malviya said on Thursday. Sharing data on X, Malviya said 1,014 Jan Aushadhi Kendras were operational in the state as on June 30, 2026, according to figures presented by the Centre in Rajya Sabha. The state govt will open 469 more Jan Aushadhi Kendras in govt hospitals, ensuring that low-cost, quality medicines are available right where patients need them most. It will bring close to 1.4 crore families, or about six crore people, under cashless healthcare coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh a year, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said. For the remaining 80 lakh families outside Ayushman Bharat’s beneficiary list, the state govt has introduced Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme.
Because healthcare shouldn’t be a luxury; it should be a right,” Malviya said. Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme was also launched in Bengal recently. “And we’re not stopping here.