28 September,2026 05:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mumbai North West MP Pratap Rao Jadhav (Pic/X)
In view of providing high quality medicines available at affordable prices, Union Minister of State (Mos) Prataprao Jadhav and Member of Parliament (MP) from Mumbai North West Pratap Rao Jadhav attended a meeting on providing generic medicine at Mumbai's Cooper Hospital and Hindu Hruday Samrat Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Hospital.
According to the proposal, generic medicines will be made available to patients at prices lower than those of several branded medicines.
The move is expected to benefit patients seeking treatment at the two civic hospitals, particularly those from economically weaker sections.
The proposals required to establish generic medicine centres at both hospitals have been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval.
The service will be launched after the required administrative and regulatory clearances are completed.
MoS Waikar said that the cost of medicines adds significantly to the financial burden faced by patients and that the availability of generic medicines could help reduce treatment expenses.
"The common citizen faces a huge financial burden due to healthcare facilities and especially medicines. The availability of generic medicines will significantly reduce the cost of medicines for patients. This service will be started immediately as soon as it gets approval from the Food and Drug Administration," Waikar said.
The initiative is intended to provide patients visiting the two municipal hospitals with access to lower-cost medicines once the necessary approvals are obtained.
In a separate incident, police on September 24 uncovered an alleged counterfeit medicines racket in Maharashtra's Thane city and seized spurious pharmaceutical products worth Rs 2.84 lakh, including fake versions of commonly used prescription medicines.
Officials said that two people have been arrested and have been taken into custody in connection with the case.
The action followed a complaint filed by a senior official of a pharmaceutical company, according to police.
Acting on the complaint, police intercepted a Mumbai resident in the Wagle Estate area of Thane on September 21.
During the investigation, police allegedly found that the man was involved in the manufacture and storage of counterfeit medicines along with an accomplice associated with a pharmaceutical firm in Lucknow, a police official said.
The two allegedly manufactured and stocked the spurious medicines with the intention of making illegal financial gains.
