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Jharkhand to become pharma hub, says health minister
Addressing a gathering of pharmacy students and experts at the National Health Mission (NHM) auditorium—organised by the Pharmacy Council of India and RKDF University—Ansari expressed concern over the current state of medical procurement.
In a move to overhaul the healthcare infrastructure and tackle unemployment, the Jharkhand government on Monday announced plans to establish a dedicated pharmaceutical manufacturing industry within the state.
Irfan Ansari, minister for health, food supply, and disaster management, stated that this initiative aims to make Jharkhand self-reliant in medicine production while creating a vast job market for the state’s youth.
Addressing a gathering of pharmacy students and experts at the National Health Mission (NHM) auditorium—organised by the Pharmacy Council of India and RKDF University—Ansari expressed concern over the current state of medical procurement.
“It is a matter of grave concern that even after two decades of statehood, Jharkhand does not have a single major pharmaceutical manufacturing unit. Today, we are forced to procure even basic medicines like Paracetamol and essential supplies like Dextrose saline from outside the state. The time has come to change this reality,” the health minister asserted.
To bolster grassroots healthcare, Ansari announced that the recruitment process for over 7,300 posts for ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives) and GNMs (General Nursing and Midwifery) under the National Health Mission will commence shortly. Furthermore, the state is set to establish 750 new medicine stores, a move that will require the mandatory hiring of a significant number of qualified pharmacists.
Highlighting the potential of the local workforce, the minister noted that over 123 pharmacy colleges in Jharkhand produce more than 7,000 graduates annually.
“The youth are the future of this state. My priority as a public servant is to ensure that our pharmacy graduates find high-quality employment right here in Jharkhand rather than migrating elsewhere,”Ansari told the students asking them to focus on their studies.
The health minister concluded by emphasising that a robust healthcare system is only possible through the effective coordination of medical and pharmaceutical disciplines. By manufacturing medicines locally, the government aims to ensure the availability of affordable drugs for the general public while paving a bright career path for the state’s trained professionals.
