The Congress party criticized the Narendra Modi government on Monday, accusing it of allowing patients across India to face financial hardship due to high medicine costs. Congress general secretary for communications, Jairam Ramesh, took to X to voice the party’s concerns, calling the situation a result of the government’s “anti‑people policies.”
Ramesh’s remarks followed a media report that highlighted price discrepancies uncovered by the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration. The report noted that the procurement cost of medicines in hospitals and private facilities was far lower than the maximum retail price printed on their packaging, suggesting patients were being overcharged.
He cited specific examples, saying an injection priced at ₹74 was being sold for ₹4,980 and that patients in Uttar Pradesh were charged up to 67 times the actual cost for health services. Ramesh also pointed to a 21‑day course of a life‑saving drug costing about ₹58,000, implying an annual expense of roughly ₹10 lakh for patients with serious illnesses.
Ramesh further argued that Sections 92 and 100 of the Patent Act provide a legal framework for the government to produce or authorize the manufacture of patented life‑saving drugs for non‑commercial use, a provision clarified by the Kerala High Court. He urged the Modi government to explain why these legal avenues have not yet been utilized to make affordable medicines available to patients, echoing the Congress slogan that the “time to pick up your bag and leave” is fast approaching.
