Vishav Bharti
Chandigarh, December 30
Even as the firing of former Health Minister Vijay Singla on corruption charges was a low point of the year, the launch of Aam Aadmi clinics came as a boost for the state’s healthcare system.
The clinics provided relief to the healthcare system that has been grappling with a shortage of doctors, hospitals and medicines, besides the crumbling infrastructure.
In the first phase, the government launched 100 Aam Aadmi clinics — 65 in urban areas and 35 in rural areas — on August 15 this year. The clinics provide 41 clinical tests and 98 medicines free of cost to patients. No wonder, these have been a hit with people.
Highs
- Launch of 100 Aam Aadmi clinics
- Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences at SAS Nagar
- With an allocation of Rs 4,731 crore, the Budget outlay for the health sector witnessed an increase of 23.80%
Lows
- Ouster and arrest of Health Minister Vijay Singla
- Misbehaviour with Dr Raj Bahadur allegedly by Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra
- Mishandling of appointment of the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid
- University of Health Sciences
- The government’s Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana remained in doldrums
Since August 15, on an average 6,500 patients visit the clinics daily. So far, around 8.5 lakh people have visited these clinics and 1.10 lakh clinical tests have been performed. Referring to the free treatment being provided to the common man through these clinics, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently said by January 26, 2023, the number would be increased to 350. By March 31, 2023, 750 Aam Aadmi clinics would be set up, providing free and top-class treatment to people near their doorsteps, he said.
Recently, Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra said the Aam Aadmi clinics across the state had received an overwhelming response from people and the number of patients visiting the clinics daily had been more than 8,000.
He said 90 per cent of the patients were getting treatment through these clinics, hence reducing the number of general OPD patients at government hospitals.
However, the most challenging task for the Health Department next year would be to transform the community health centres and district hospitals. Besides, there is a need to improve the working conditions of the healthcare employees and doctors.
Apart from this, a large army of contractual staff is working at meagre salaries.
The government faces the challenge of poor tertiary care in the public sector and fleecing by big private hospitals. In the beginning, the government announced to open 16 new medical colleges in the state in five years. However, the first such college — Sant Baba Attar Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences, Sangrur — has got entangled in a legal battle.
The grim picture of tertiary care services became clear when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann conducted a surprise check at Patiala’s Government Rajindra Hospital in October this year. The Chief Minister said the state government was committed to give facelift to the premier hospital of the region. But not much has happened in that direction.
In fact, the government sector starting losing the handful of professionals it had. The resignations of Vice-Chancellor of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, and principal and medical superintendent of Government Medical College, Amritsar, were allegedly due to mishandling by the minister.