65 Aam Aadmi Clinics rebranded as Ayushman Arogya Kendras

The Aam Aadmi Clinics working under National Health Mission (NHM) have been rebranded as Ayushman Arogya Kendras. In Ludhiana, out of the total 94 clinics, the names of 65 have been changed while the remaining are being run by the state government and their name remains the same as earlier.

The picture of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been removed from health centres which were originally health and wellness clinics but were later named Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) by the state government. As a result, the Centre had stalled the fund under NHM since 2023 and around Rs 1,200 crore went pending. After the re-branding of the clinics, the Central Government has started disbursing the pending fund. Punjab Government has received around Rs 190 crore from around Rs 1,200 crore of NHM funds stuck since 2023.

The rebranding of the clinics has created confusion among the patients. A patient who visited the clinic at Abdullapur Basti said that she came back as there was no picture of the CM on the building as usual. “I thought something else has opened here so I came back from outside. It was upon reaching home that my children told me that only the name has been changed,” she said.

Ram Kishore, who visited the clinics near Shingar Cinema, said that he first thought some Centre had opened here. “I went inside to inquire and saw the doctors and staff and later came to know that only the name has been changed,” he said.

A doctor from one of the clinics said that he observed that patients were being caught unaware and the problem was higher among the illiterate population. “Now, we are asking the patients to make their near and dear ones aware about the rebranding of the clinics,” he said.