Chandigarh, April 25:
The Punjab Government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has earned international praise for its revolutionary Aam Aadmi Clinic (AAC) model, which is transforming primary healthcare in the state. A 14-member high-level Australian delegation has expressed strong interest in replicating this model in Australia, further cementing its global recognition.
Led by Member of Parliament (MP) for the State of Victoria, Dylon Wight, and MP Mathew Hilakari, the delegation visited an Aam Aadmi Clinic and the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (PILBS), a tertiary healthcare facility, in Mohali on Friday.
The delegation later met with Punjab’s Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Balbir Singh, to discuss healthcare and agriculture. The meeting was attended by Administrative Secretary Health and Family Welfare Kumar Rahul, Special Secretary Agriculture Baldeep Kaur, and PILBS Director Dr. Virendra Singh.
watch…..Punjab Health Minister Inspects Facilities, Directs Doctors to Ensure Quality Healthcare
The Australian representatives were particularly impressed by the Aam Aadmi Clinic model, which provides free primary healthcare services, including 80 essential medicines and 38 diagnostic tests, conveniently close to people’s homes.
Addressing the media, Dr. Balbir Singh said, “The delegation was astounded to see that by 11 AM, over 60 patients had already benefited from services at the Aam Aadmi Clinic. They were so inspired by the model that they want to adopt it in Australia, believing it could significantly enhance their healthcare system.”
The Health Minister added that the delegation also praised the cost-effective advanced treatments offered at PILBS, appreciating Punjab’s healthcare reforms, particularly its efficient last-mile delivery of medical services.
The discussions extended beyond healthcare to include agriculture and environmental sustainability, with both sides exploring potential collaborations. “Australia’s climate and crop patterns are similar to Punjab’s. The delegation was keen to learn about our millets and organic farming practices. We explored ways to enhance agricultural productivity while conserving water and reducing pollution,” Dr. Balbir Singh noted.
The Health Minister revealed plans for exchange programs with Australia, where Punjab’s experts would visit Australia for training, and Australian professionals would study Punjab’s healthcare and agricultural models.
This international acknowledgment follows the Aam Aadmi Clinics’ recent global recognition at the 2023 Global Health Supply Chain Summit in Nairobi, where Punjab won first prize for its submission, “Strengthening Last Mile Delivery of Drugs: A Case Study from Punjab.”
The Australian delegation included notable members such as Professor Harpinder Sandhu (Federation University Australia), Dr. Jasvinder Sidhu (Federation University Australia), A/Prof Paul Pang (Federation University Australia), Dr. Sachin Dahiya (Business Leader, Ballarat), Parvinder Sarwara (CEO, Singh Homes), Davinder Singh (Businessman and Importer), Sukhmeet Ahuja (Businessman and Educator), Jaswinder Singh (CEO, Sikh Volunteers Australia), Abhimanyu Kumar (Businessman), Navdeep Singh Handa (CEO, Aamico Homes), Kartheek Munigoti (CEO, Constellation Technologies Limited), and Love Khakh (Businessman and Sports Events Organizer).
