Have you ever encountered a medicine drop box? Well, a medical agency based in Ahmedabad has launched a social initiative where citizens can donate excess or leftover medicines across 31 medicine drop boxes installed in the city.
Paras Medical has installed ‘medicine drop boxes’ across its 31 branches across the city and the collected medicines will be distributed to homeless and underprivileged individuals who cannot afford the cost of essential medications.
Arpan Shah, the owner of Paras Medical’s South Bopal branch, explained the inspiration behind this service, saying, “We’ve been doing this for the past five years. I used to work at my uncle’s medical shop a long time ago, where I saw many people unable to afford expensive medicines. They had no choice but to forgo treatment. I wanted to help those people, so when I opened my own shop, I initiated this service to assist them.”
The drop boxes are seeing regular contributions, and Shah shared that in the South Bopal branch alone, around 10 to 15 people visit each month to receive medicines from the donated stock. These donations are making a significant impact on the lives of those who would otherwise struggle to obtain the medications they need.
Get medical devices on rent
The owner has also received donations of medical devices such as nebulisers and blood pressure monitors. He rents these out to those in need for a minimal fee of ₹200 per week. After the devices are returned, the rental fee is often refunded or donated to charity.
“We started charging a deposit or rental fee because there were instances where people took the devices and never returned them,” Shah explained. “But whatever we collect goes to charity, so it’s all for a good cause.”