MediSathi

MediSathi – Affordable Medicines, Accessible to All.

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MediSathi

About the Reality

  • As of October 3, 2024, 13,822 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been established across India. :
  • In the last 10 years, these Kendras have sold medicines worth ₹6,100 crore, resulting in estimated savings of ₹30,000 crore for citizens compared to branded medicines.
  • Under PMBJP, more than 2,047 generic medicines and 300 surgical items are now part of the product basket. These are sold at prices 50-90% cheaper than their branded equivalents.

What Hurts

  • In fiscal year 2023-24, Jan Aushadhi made sales of ₹1,470 crore (at MRP), leading to savings of approximately ₹7,350 crore for citizens.
  • Though the scheme has grown, many people are still unaware of these Kendras or do not have reliable information about stock or locations.

My Inspiration

I saw stories of patients in rural areas who skipped doses or delayed buying medicines because brand names were priced beyond reach. I heard of elders choosing between food and medicine. I realised the money saved by Jan Aushadhi in reports must translate into relief in real lives — but the gap between policy numbers and personal experience is still wide.

What I Learned

  • Public policy and savings data matter, but awareness, trust, and access are equally important.
  • Even when generic medicines are available, misinformation or lack of verified information leads to reluctance.
  • Tools must handle low connectivity, low literacy, sometimes no internet — solutions need to be inclusive in design.

How I Built MediSathi

  • Collected public data from Janaushadhi product & MRP listings, government press releases, and JAK directories.
  • Parsed and normalized data so people can compare branded vs generic prices.
  • Built a search API + user interface to locate nearest Jan Aushadhi centres and show savings.
  • Created a prescription translation component using OCR/NLP to reduce technical barriers.
  • Designed awareness content to bridge trust gaps with real, verifiable information.

Challenges Faced

  • Data from various sources was inconsistent: different formats, missing fields, outdated entries.
  • Stock availability at Jan Aushadhi stores often not reliably reported.
  • Misconceptions & suspicion about quality of generics.
  • Rural logistics and physical access (e.g. distance, transport) still barriers even when stores exist.

What I Hope

  • That no one should delay treatment because of cost alone.
  • That savings shown in reports are felt in homes — fewer people falling into debt or poverty due to medicine bills.
  • That MediSathi helps connect policy with people — making generic medicines truly affordable, accessible, and trusted.

Future Improvements

  • Live stock integration: Connect directly with Jan Aushadhi store databases to provide real-time medicine availability.
  • Geolocation & mapping: Add GPS and map-based navigation to locate nearest Kendras with directions.
  • Multilingual support: Expand UI to support major Indian languages for inclusivity.
  • Offline mode: Enable SMS/IVR-based queries for regions with low or no internet access.
  • Partnerships: Collaborate with local health workers (ASHA, ANMs) to spread awareness and act as community connectors.
  • Trust building: Publish verified clinical equivalence data between branded and generic medicines.
  • Scalability: Build APIs for hospitals, NGOs, and insurance providers to integrate MediSathi in their workflows.
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