Neethi Medicals, the pharmaceutical distribution division of Consumerfed that was launched to provide common people access to affordable and quality medicines, is set to turn 25.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the silver jubilee celebrations at the Adlux International Convention and Exhibition Centre at Angamaly on March 3. Incidentally, it was during Mr. Vijayan’s tenure as the Cooperation Minister that Consumerfed launched Neethi Medicals, said M. Mehboob, chairman, Consumerfed.
The Chief Minister will also unveil the new price detection policy, launch the Triveni brand products and inaugurate Consumerfed’s migration to a new software. With the advent of the new price detection policy, cooperative societies will be able to procure all branded and generic medicines at 5% discount of the trading price. This, in turn, will enable Neethi Medicals stores to offer medicines at a discount ranging between 16% and 70%.
Mr. Vijayan had pitched the idea of Neethi Medicals in 1998 and it turned operational the very next year. Currently, there are 1,238 Neethi Medicals stores, including 1,164 stores run by cooperatives and 74 stores run directly by Consumerfed. Neethi Medicals have 14 warehouses and over 2,000 employees.
The apex consumer federation has also said that dyalysis and cancer patients will be given more price advantage as part of the silver jubilee celebrations.
It has also decided to make available food products from self-help groups of women in Mararikulam in Alappuzha district under the Triveni brand name.
Neethi Medicals now log an annual turnover of ₹300 crore. Consumerfed aims at doubling the turnover. Plans are also afoot to increase the number of Neethi Medicals stores to 1,500. Already, sanction has been given to 16 new stores as the number of people depending on the stores are rising by the day, said Mr. Mehboob.
