Gurdaspur, January 2- With the aim of providing world-class health services to the people of Punjab, the state government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is taking various initiatives to strengthen the first, second and third level health facilities in Punjab.
Punjab Health Systems Corporation Chairman Mr. Raman Bahl, while mentioning the achievements made by the health department last year, has said that the dream project ‘Aam Aadmi Clinic’ started by the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to strengthen and transform primary health services in the state has achieved great success. 2.58 crore (1.08 crore first-time patients/1.5 crore repeat patients) people have availed the facility of free treatment from these clinics.
Chairman Mr. Raman Bahl said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had dedicated 75 Aam Aadmi Clinics to the people of the state on the occasion of 75th Independence Day, taking the total number of these clinics to 881. Out of these 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, 316 are located in urban areas while 565 clinics are located in rural areas. He said that out of 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, 62 Aam Aadmi Clinics in border district Gurdaspur are providing health services to the people near their homes.
He said that 80 types of medicines and 38 types of diagnostic tests are available free of cost to the patients at Aam Aadmi Clinics. These clinics have contributed to reducing the healthcare expenditure of the people of the state by Rs. 1200 crore.
Chairman Mr. Raman Bahl further informed that 3134 Health and Wellness Centers are functional in the state to provide comprehensive primary health services to the people of the state. Along with this, new staff of Community Health Officers have also been added. He informed that the Punjab Government has launched the Free Drug Initiative in January 2024 to ensure the availability of all medicines under the Essential Drugs List (EDL) in secondary health facilities. Civil Surgeons and SMOs at the local level have been authorized to procure medicines outside the EDL or in case of shortage of any specific medicine.
Chairman Mr. Raman Bahl said that the health sector is a priority sector of the Punjab Government and in this new year too, quality health services will be provided to the people by bringing revolutionary changes in the Health Department.