Mohalla Clinics to be launched in Punjab on August 15

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to provide the best health care services free of cost to the people across the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced that his government’s flagship program, Mohalla Clinics would be launched on August 15.

He said 75 clinics of the Delhi pattern project would be launched in the first phase.

Chairing a high-level meeting of senior officers here at his official residence this afternoon, Bhagwant Mann said that his government would be fulfilling one of the major poll promises by setting up these clinics both in urban and rural areas in a phased manner. 

Taking part in the deliberations, Mann also gave a nod to convert the non-functional Sewa Kendras across the State into Mohalla Clinics thereby refurbishing such complexes on a uniform pattern with basic interior components including a doctor’s room, reception-cum-waiting Area, Pharmacy, besides separate toilets for staff and visiting patients. 

He also directed the Principal Secretary, Public Works to work out the modalities for sprucing up the interiors of Sewa Kendras, so that these could be suitably converted into Mohalla Clinics.

He also suggested forming a cluster of five to six adjoining villages by establishing a Mohalla Clinic at a central location, easily accessible to all. This would help in bringing a majority of people residing in rural areas within the ambit of Mohalla Clinics.

During the meeting, a brief presentation was made by the Senior Architect to apprise the Chief Minister about the various options for the proposed design and layout of these Mohalla Clinics.

Meanwhile, Secretary Health and Family Welfare informed Mann about the already existing network of nearly 3000 Sub-Centres in the rural areas being efficiently manned by the trained Para-medics staff headed by Community Health Officer. Therefore, he mooted a proposal to convert these Sub-Centres also into Mohalla Clinics thus widening its scope and outreach so that the maximum number of people residing in villages could be benefitted from the state government’s unique health care initiative.

Summing up the deliberations, Mann asked Secretary Health to immediately start the process to hire services doctors/paramedics on a contract basis, who were willing to offer their services for this noble cause in Mohalla Clinics. He also directed the Secretary of Health to work out an action plan for hiring an agency for clinical tests. To which, the secretary of health informed that process for recruitment of requisite staff was already underway and the tendering process for hiring the services of an agency for clinical tests would be done by May 31.