U-turn: Doctors from rural dispensaries in Punjab to be sent back

Vishav Bharti

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Chandigarh, April 22

After facing strong resistance from villages, the Punjab Government decided today to run Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) on empanelment mode.

Earlier, the government had deployed a large number of doctors and pharmacists from rural dispensaries to run the 404 mohalla clinics in urban areas. This had led to widespread protests across the state.

With this decision, all the doctors who were deployed from rural dispensaries, primary health centres and community health centres will be sent back to their original place of posting.

A communication, sent to all the Civil Surgeons by State Programme Officer, Aam Aadmi Clinics, states, “The government has, after due consideration, decided to shift to empanelment mode for all the 404 primary health centres (PHCs) upgraded as Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) during Phase II as also the 64 AACs which are under upgrade.”

The communication further said that the empanelment process shall first be undertaken for Medical Officers. For that, a special online module has been developed to seek a one-time option from the Medical Officers empanelled for 100 Aam Aadmi Clinics during Phase I in case they seek to relocate themselves to the AACs opened in Phase II. An SMS has already been sent to the 100 empanelled MOs of Phase I to exercise this option, in case they so desire, within 48 hours. To run AACs under the empanelment mode, the government empanels doctors, pharmacists and attendants who are given a consolidated monthly amount besides incentive depending on the daily patient footfall. They won’t be employees of the Health Department and are free to do private practice in free time.

Just before the inauguration of around 400 Aam Aadmi Clinics on January 27, the government had deployed 202 doctors from Punjab Civil Medical Services and 135 rural Medical Officers, pharmacists and Class-IV employees to these clinics. The staff had been providing healthcare services at the dispensaries in rural areas which were being managed by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats.

The pulling out of staff from the rural dispensaries and CHCs had crippled OPD and emergency services in Bathinda, Barnala, Faridkot, Ludhiana and Muktsar districts, raising a question mark on the future of the dispensaries which were the lifeline of rural areas.

That led to widespread protests in villages across the state. Following that, the government started sending back the doctors.

Punjab Govt to run clinics under empanelment mode

• The government will empanel doctors, pharmacists and attendants for AACs
• They will be given consolidated monthly amount besides incentive depending on the daily patient footfall
• They won’t be Health Department employees and are free to do private practice in free time