Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar flagged off 109 free medicine vehicles in the state capital on Thursday.

They will travel across Bihar, especially the hinterland, to timely provide necessary medicines free of cost to the common people and improve health services.

“This is a historic initiative to take health services to the poorest and the deprived sections of the society. These vehicles will strengthen and streamline the medicine supply chain in the state,” Nitish said on the occasion.

The chief minister asserted that the aim of the scheme was to ensure the availability of medicines in all government health institutions in the state, especially those located in the far-flung areas on time so that nobody is deprived of treatment because of lack of drugs.

He added that the government hospitals across Bihar were providing all necessary medicines for free and the launch of 109 vehicles would ensure their continuous availability in the rural areas during emergencies.

The vehicles are fitted with GPS devices to keep a tab on their movement, and have been started under the Swasth Bihar (Healthy Bihar) mission