Did you Know in India:

1. 77% of health expenses in rural areas and 70% in urban areas are on medicines alone.
   
2. World Medicine Report (2004) of World Health Organization suggests that India has the largest number of people (649 million) without having access to essential medicines.
   
3. Out-of-pocket medical costs alone push 2.2% of the population below the poverty line in one year.
   
4. The proportion of private expenditure, of the total expenditure on health is one of the highest in the world – 84% as compared to just 16% public expenditure.
   
5. The total expenditure on medicines is in excess of Rs.30,000 crore meaning Rs.1,500 for each family in the country.

Two facts. Two contradictory pictures. CDMU reaches out to a need-based initiative in a common sense approach that pooled procurement will guarantee cost containment and affordable to the poorest of the poor.                  

CDMU – West Bengal initiated its journey in 1984 out of human cry for essential medicines. It is an initiative of NGOs running healthcare program and facing difficulty in procuring medicines. It was later developed as a program of West Bengal Voluntary Health Association for pooled procurement of medicines. The objective of such program was to procure essential medicines within affordable price limits and thereafter distribute the same to various charitable organization in the state of West Bengal.

Form there on; CDMU membership network has grown from 15 in 1985 to 600 Member Organizations (MOs) till date. This network reaches out to more than 20, 000, 00 people in West Bengal. This concept of CDMU has inspired and motivated others to implement their healthcare program. The MOs are of various types like Faith-based organization, CBOs, hospitals, etc. It is interesting to note that atleast 20% of our MOs are self-sustained by generating revenue through their clinic activities.

The medicines supplied by CDMU to its MOs save atleast 30% of healthcare budget, which are then set aside for other relief works. Let’s see it with a comparative analysis example.

If a patient is suffering from hypertension and the doctor prescribes Tab Atenolol 50 mg once daily, the cost of therapy for 30 days and the amount saved by a patient taking from medicines of CDMU are as follows:

Note: The price is of same company