Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated the 7500th Janaushadhi Kendra at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong via video conferencing.

The Prime Minister while addressing Janaushadhi Diwas celebrations and interacting with beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, urged people to buy medicines from Janaushadhi Kendras at an affordable cost.

"Medicines are expensive, that's why we've PM 'Jan Aushadhi ' yojana for the poor which saves their money. I urge people to buy medicines at affordable cost from 'Modi ki Dukaan' (as people like to call it)," the Prime Minister said while interacting with a beneficiary.

PM Modi said sanitary pads will be available for women at Rs 2.5 as part of the Janaushadhi Pariyojana scheme.

"PM Janaushadhi Pariyojana is being run across the country for poor and middle-income families. This yojana is a medium of 'seva and rozgar' as it also provides employment opportunities to the youth. As part of the scheme, sanitary pads for women available at Rs 2.5," PM Modi said.

"A decision has been taken to make available 75 Ayush medicines across Janaushadhi centres in the country."

The Prime Minister said this scheme is helping to provide cheap medicines to the citizens living in tribal areas in the Northeast and in the mountainous areas.

"Today when the 7500th centre has been inaugurated in Shillong. It is clear from this how much public health centres are expanding in the Northeast. We had less than 100 Janaushadhi centres till 2014. We want to reach the target of opening 10,000 centres very soon. I want to request state governments to take a pledge for 75 Janaushadhi centres each in 75 districts on the 75th year of our independence. We should also set a target of double the beneficiaries of Janaushadhi centres," he said.

Union minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda was also present on the occasion.

The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi scheme seeks to provide quality medicines at an affordable price and covers all districts of the country.