Punjab to upgrade 308 rural subsidiary health centres into Aam Aadmi clinics

Chandigarh: In a move to expand the network of Aam Aadmi clinics in the state, the Punjab govt decided to strengthen 308 existing subsidiary health centres under the department of rural development and panchayat by converting them into Aam Aadmi Clinics on the same pattern followed earlier, including standardised human resources, infrastructure and branding, as well as provision of drugs and diagnostics.The govt further decided that the strengthening exercise will be undertaken through a decentralised model via district health societies in 20 districts, including Amritsar, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Bathinda, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Moga, Malerkotla, Pathankot, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur, Mohali, Muktsar and Tarn Taran. These societies are chaired by the concerned Deputy Commissioner, with the civil surgeon serving as the chief executive officer.Punjab currently operates around 500 rural dispensaries, each serving approximately 10,000 residents, with about 500 rural medical officers posted at these facilities across the state.As per the guidelines issued, the district health society will define the scope of work and monitor the execution of infrastructure strengthening for each identified subsidiary health centre within its jurisdiction. The society may change the site if the identified centre is found to be unsafe, beyond repair or strengthening, or for any other reason to be recorded in writing."Infrastructure strengthening" will include civil work, repair, renovation, addition, alteration, branding of the facility and provision of furniture in accordance with the standardised plan already finalised by the state for Aam Aadmi Clinics.District health societies are advised to prefer the executive engineer, Panchayati Raj, as the executing agency for the works. However, they may identify other executing agencies such as the Department of Public Works (B&R), Mandi Board, the engineering wing of the municipal corporation or municipal committee, or the engineering wing of improvement trusts.The executing agency will prepare estimates in association with the concerned rural medical officer posted at the facility, taking into account the felt needs of the respective centre. After identification of the executing agency and allocation of the administrative units containing the identified centre, the district health society will ensure preparation of rough cost estimates for each centre as per the standard plan.The guidelines specify that no estimate should include departmental, contingency or other administrative charges. The society must ensure that estimates strictly follow the standard plan and that sanctioned limits are used only for approved works, and not for operation or maintenance of existing or non-identified facilities.Supervision or monitoring committees will be constituted under the concerned sub-divisional magistrate for periodic inspection of the works. The society is also directed to ensure that no work remains incomplete or is left untaken, and that there is no uncovered liability beyond the amount sanctioned for an individual centre. Weekly progress reports in the prescribed format are to be submitted by the chief executive officer and convener to the chairman, as well as to the state programme officer, Aam Aadmi Clinics. The guidelines emphasise that infrastructure strengthening of all identified Subsidiary Health Centres must be completed district-wise at the earliest.The health department established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics across the state so far. According to the govt, these clinics strengthened access to healthcare services and contributed to reducing out-of-pocket expenditure for residents.As per a patient feedback state report card based on interviews with 18,256 patients across Punjab, 96% expressed satisfaction with treatment provided at the clinics, while 92% reported receiving all prescribed drugs. In diagnostics, 94% stated that prescribed investigation tests were conducted at the clinics free of cost. Additionally, 99% confirmed availability of adequate seating, 97% reported access to drinking water and 95% stated that toilets were clean.