Ludhiana, Aug 15 (IANS) Fulfilling a poll promise to provide free and quality health services to the people of Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday dedicated an Aam Aadmi Clinic in this industrial city.
A total of 75 such clinics were simultaneously inaugurated across the state, setting in motion the first step towards revolutionising primary health care facilities in Punjab.
"On this historic day, the Aam Aadmi Party government has dedicated these clinics to the people to ensure that they have access to quality healthcare services, without paying a single penny," said the Chief Minister, while dedicating the clinic.
The Chief Minister said these clinics will be opened in every nook and corner of the state, adding, that in big villages, two such clinics will be opened for the convenience of the people.
He said in the first phase, 75 such Aam Aadmi clinics have been dedicated to people to mark the 75th Independence Day.
The Chief Minister said that every Aam Aadmi clinic will have a staff of four-five persons, including an MBBS doctor, a lab technician and a nurse, to diagnose and treat the patients.
Mann said 41 packages with around 100 clinical tests will be offered to the people free of cost in these Aam Aadmi Clinics. He said his government has fulfilled one of the major poll promises with setting up of these clinics both in urban and rural areas.
The Chief Minister envisioned that these clinics will be a stepping stone in revamping the healthcare system in Punjab.
Mann expressed hope that 90 per cent of patients will get treated from these clinics only thereby reducing the burden in hospitals.
He said only the serious patients with major ailments will be further referred to the hospitals.
The Chief Minister said that this revolutionary decision will rejuvenate the healthcare system in state. He said the patients will have facility of online appointment in these Clinics.
Mann said that these clinics will provide free medicines and primary diagnostic facilities.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government is according top priority to health and education sectors.
He said the government Civil Hospitals across the state will be spruced up in the coming days for imparting quality health services to people.
Mann also said 2,140 well qualified doctors have applied for these posts.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who is also holding the Health portfolio, said 2.16 lakh people got vaccinated on Tuesday. Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Patiala were the top five districts in immunisation.
The meeting lasted over half an hour and it is understood that Mishra might have made his position clear in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Earlier, he went to his office in the North Block and stayed there for a while.
NCP national spokesperson and Maharashtra Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik slammed the "fraud" NCB operations,in which BJP leader Manish Bhanushali and "private detective" Kiran P. Gosavi were seen dragging out the accused. including superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant.
In a statement here, he said the worst has started coming true as the Taliban have started showing their true colours by way of complete intolerance towards the minorities leading to their intimidation and destruction of their religious places.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other leaders met the family of deceased farmer Lovepreet at the Chaukhada farm in Palia at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday. They later met the family of journalist Raman Kashyap, who was also killed in violence.
9 persons, including four farmers, were killed in the violence that had erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli will hear the matter on Thursday. The matter has been listed as 'violence in Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) leading to loss of life'.
