Guwahati: Assam has secured the second position in India for access to essential medicines across public healthcare institutions, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on October 6, highlighting the achievement as a significant step forward for the state’s healthcare system.
Sarma made the statement on social media while responding to Health Minister Ashok Singhal, who said Assam had achieved the second-highest national ranking in access to essential medicines under the Essential Drugs List (EDL).
Calling the achievement a “proud moment” for Assam’s healthcare sector, Sarma said the key priority was ensuring that patients received medicines when they needed them.
Assam maintains a state-level Essential Drugs List and provides medicines free of cost at government health facilities through the National Health Mission’s free-drug service.
The state has also centralised its medicine procurement system through the Assam Medical Services Corporation Limited (AMSCL). The model is designed to streamline procurement, strengthen quality control and ensure a consistent supply of essential medicines across public health institutions.
A 2026 National Health Mission compendium has highlighted Assam’s centralised procurement mechanism as a best practice for improving the healthcare supply chain.
At the national level, the Union Health Ministry’s Free Drugs Service Initiative aims to improve the availability of essential medicines at public health facilities while reducing the financial burden on patients.
Sarma congratulated officials of the Health Department and others involved in the initiative, urging them to sustain the progress and further strengthen medicine availability across the state.