Government to set up 550 Aam Aadmi Clinics, says Chhina

Punjab Health System Corporation (PSHC) chairman Gursharan Singh Chhina said the state government will set up 550 more Aam Aadmi Clinics, further strengthening primary care network across the state.

At present, 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics are functional across the state. In the last month alone, the arrival of pregnant women in these clinics has increased by about 30 per cent.

The newly appointed Chairman of PHSC, Gursharan Singh Chhina said the cases identified as high-risk pregnancies in Aam Aadmi Clinics have reached 29 per cent at the state level, which is enabling early medical treatment and protecting the health of mothers and newborns. He said the state government will soon set up 243 new Aam Aadmi Clinics in the state, while 308 sub-health centres are being upgraded as Aam Aadmi Clinics. Elaborating the new services, he said these will include newborn and child care, routine vaccination and screening for oral and prostate cancer. He said the government was committed to strengthening block-level institutions with the aim of reducing referral cases at the block level and providing more treatment. As many as 14 districts have ensured availability of at least 97 medicines out of 102 essential medicines at Aam Aadmi Clinics. He said in case of any shortage in stock, the accountability of the concerned officer would be fixed to ensure that prescribed medicines and diagnostic services are provided free of cost to every patient visiting the government health centre. He said monitoring will be intensified through e-Aushadhi and district level dashboards to ensure uninterrupted supply.

AAP chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal lambasted the claims of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to eliminate the horror of gangsters after coming to power in the state. He said Akali leaders who themselves take part in the wedding celebrations of gangsters do not have moral courage to stand against them. Referring to SAD candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa in the Tarn Taran byelection, he claimed SAD had given a party ticket to her since she is a close relative of a gangster.