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.
Channi also said that 997 students from the state were in Ukraine, out of whom 420 have returned, and 200 students have reached Poland and are safe but some of the people are still stuck in Ukraine.
In 2017, the Aam Aadmi Party had got around 23 per cent votes but the projections for this election is 39 per cent, while Congress seems to have lost around 11 per cent votes, against in last election's over 38 per cent now, to around 26 per cent and may see its tally come down from 77 seats to 25 seats.
Harjot's brother Prabhjot Singh, who resides in Delhi's Chhattarpur, told IANS: "The last conversation I had with Harjot was on February 26 at 9 p.m. I haven't spoken to him since then. On March 2, at night, he contacted the family and informed them about his injuries.
While directing officials to ensure safe return of the remaining students and other persons stuck in Ukraine, he said the state government is sparing no effort to help the distressed families in this hour of crisis.
Over 700 Indian students are stuck in Sumy and they are running out of basic necessities like food and water and they have been urging the Indian government to get them evacuated from there.
Over 7,400 Indian nationals are expected to be evacuated under the 'Operation Ganga' in the next two days, the government said on Thursday. The Centre has initiated an airlift operation to evacuate Indians, who have found their way to the neighbouring countries of war-torn Ukraine.
