31,000 beneficiaries of $8 million allocated in the 2019-2020 National Budget for the Free Medicine Scheme

The government has allocated another $8 million in the 2019-2020 National Budget for the Free Medicine Scheme which has about 31,000 beneficiaries.                  

This assistance started off in 2015 where government had a total of 72 medicine under the scheme.

The Health Ministry has confirmed that currently government has increased that number of medications under the Free Medicine Scheme to 142.

They say the Scheme is been provided to help families with an annual income of less than $20,000.

Those who are already on the Poverty Benefit Scheme program, the Care and Protection Allowance or the Social Pension Scheme do not have to register again as they by default fall into the category of earnings less than $20,000 per annum.

The Ministry also confirms that those beneficiaries who get prescriptions from private practitioners, can still collect their medicine from counters of pharmacies within the hospitals, health centres and private pharmacies.

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