Chandigarh, Dec 14 (IANS): The Punjab government has set up three scientifically designed regional warehouses to stock medicines that can be supplied to government hospitals based 1on need, a minister said Sunday.

The warehouses have been set up at Amritsar, Bathinda and Kharar (near Chandigarh).

Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said that the warehouses have been especially designed to keep stocked medicines protected.

"The Punjab government is presently providing more than 300 medicines free in government hospitals and this number would increase in the near future. The warehouses have been set up for storage and timely distribution of medicines and putting in place an online inventory management system for ensuring effective online management and monitoring of drug," he said.

Jayani said that in 2013-14, medicines worth Rs.70 crore were supplied to government hospitals for free distribution.

The warehouse at Kharar had recently supplied anti-snake venom to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital-Sector 16, both in Chandigarh, as these institutions were facing shortage of the product, he said.