Punjab Health Overhaul: 550+ New Clinics, Free Diagnostics & Anti-Drug SOORMA Programme
Punjab to Add Over 550 New Aam Aadmi Clinics: Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh Charts Bold Reforms for Primary & Secondary Care
• Strict orders for 100% essential medicine stock & free diagnostics in all govt facilitie
s • Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana ensures cashless treatment up to ₹10 lakh per family – zero out-of-pocket target
• Yudh Nashean Virudh 2.0 gains pace with SOORMA peer ambassador rehab programme
• Emphasis on results-driven governance, random inspections & empathetic patient care
• Digital upgrades, Critical Care Blocks & Public Health Labs to elevate emergency & secondary services
Chandigarh, February 17
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh presided over a high-level state conference with Civil Surgeons and Deputy Medical Commissioners to evaluate on-ground progress of flagship health initiatives and outline aggressive next steps for strengthening primary and secondary healthcare across the state.
The meeting focused on patient-centric delivery, digital transformation, infrastructure enhancement, and rigorous accountability at the district level.
Praising the Aam Aadmi Clinics as the cornerstone of Punjab’s primary healthcare revolution, Dr. Balbir Singh revealed that 881 clinics are currently operational, attracting consistent crowds. Notably, pregnant women visits surged by nearly 30% last month alone, with 29% of pregnancies flagged as high-risk at the state level — enabling timely interventions to protect maternal and newborn health.
In a major expansion announcement, the Minister confirmed over 550 new additions on the horizon: 243 new Aam Aadmi Clinics in the pipeline, alongside the upgrade of 308 Sub Health Centres into full-fledged Aam Aadmi Clinics. Enhanced services will cover newborn & pediatric care, routine immunization, and screenings for oral & prostate cancers. The guiding mantra: “Refer less, cure more” at the block level to keep care accessible and local.
On medicine availability, Dr. Balbir Singh issued zero-tolerance directives: 14 districts have already achieved 97 out of 102 essential drugs at clinics, but any shortfall will face strict accountability. He stressed that every patient in a government facility must receive prescribed medicines and diagnostics free of cost. Intensified monitoring via e-Aushadhi portals and district dashboards will ensure seamless supplies.
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Reviewing the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, the Minister highlighted its provision of cashless coverage up to ₹10 lakh per family annually, shielding households from financial ruin during emergencies. Civil Surgeons were tasked with flawless enrolment, smooth hospital empanelment coordination, and outreach via CSCs, ASHAs, and PRI members to minimize out-of-pocket expenses.
Key digital and infrastructure milestones include:
- Full rollout of the MedLEaPR system for transparent, faster medico-legal and post-mortem processes.
- Under Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, construction underway for 22 District Integrated Public Health Labs (7 completed and handed over) and 22 Critical Care Blocks — delivering unified diagnostics (molecular biology, virology) under one roof.
Secondary care discussions covered essential drug stocks, biomedical equipment uptime, sanitation, lifts, fire safety, and power backups — with the Minister underscoring that cleanliness and readiness build public trust. Compliance on procurement and utilization certificates was also scrutinized.
Progress on maternal mortality reduction, neonatal survival, immunization drives, TB detection, and SDG alignment was reviewed, with praise for improved Maternal Mortality Ratio and high-risk pregnancy tracking. Accurate HMIS reporting received strict emphasis.
The conference also advanced expansions of Punjab STEMI and Stroke projects to all 23 districts for tele-ECG thrombolysis and hub-and-spoke stroke care, plus intensified NCD screening and early cancer detection to ease emergency loads.
On the anti-drug front, Yudh Nashean Virudh 2.0 is accelerating, with Cluster Resource Centres at medical colleges aiding treatment and rehab. The upcoming SOORMA Programme (“Ambassadors of Recovery”) will deploy peer ambassadors for structured support, leveraging digital OOAT systems and community involvement.
Dr. Balbir Singh urged district leaders to embrace results-oriented governance: every metric and patient interaction must deliver timely, dignified care. He directed Civil Surgeons to perform random facility inspections and enforce empathetic, respectful behavior toward patients.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Principal Secretary Health Kumar Rahul, Punjab Development Commission Member Anurag Kundu, PHSC Vice Chairman Vicky Ghanaur, Secretary-cum-MD NHM Ghanshyam Thori, MD PHSC Amit Talwar, Director Health & Family Welfare Dr. Hitinder Kaur, and other key directors and deputies.
This comprehensive review reaffirms the Punjab government’s unwavering commitment to accessible, high-quality, and equitable healthcare for all.
