Singh has asked all the medical shops run by Indian Red Cross Society in all district hospitals of the state to sell generic drugs, officials said here today.
This would help patients get medicines at cheaper rates since the cost of generic drugs is at least 30-40 per cent less than the branded drugs despite they being equally effective, they said.
Such medicines are already being made available at the hospital at Surguja district headquarters in Ambikapur, where the Chief Minister had inaugurated the generic drug store on May 20.
During a meeting of the state Rural Development Authority here today, Singh said the initiative was a big relief for poor patients.
The same arrangement would also be facilitated at the Ambedkar hospital in Raipur along with all other district hospitals in the state where there are medical stores run by the Red Cross.
The chief minister has asked the state health department to ensure the implementation of his order within the next 15 days.