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.
On Thursday, India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had stated that Jaishankar has spoken to concerned officials in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia for setting up camps on the border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals.
An official spokesperson said the affected people or their relatives could call from within Punjab on helpline number 1100 and others from outside India on +91-172-4111905 for seeking information in this regard.
Amid crisis related to wearing of hijab in classrooms, an Amritdhari (baptised) Sikh girl was asked to remove her turban in the reputed Mount Carmel PU College here in accordance with the February 10 High Court's interim order. Some parents of the college also complained of being targeted after their daughters were asked to remove the hijab.
The brother-in-law of SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, Majithia, who was sent to the Ropar jail during his judicial custody, applied for regular bail and his bail plea will come up for hearing on Friday.
He also sensitised the Russian President about India's concerns regarding the safety of the Indian citizens in Ukraine, especially students, and conveyed that India attaches the highest priority to their safe exit and return to India.
