IEP Chandigarh, June 16
Taking a leap forward towards further imparting quality health service to the people of state, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced to launch a special project for strengthening of all Secondary Health Care Institutions viz. Community Health Centres (CHCs), Sub-Divisional Hospitals and District Hospitals. Chairing a meeting here to review the health care sector, the Chief Minister said that the state government has already given a major boost to primary healthcare services by opening more than 500 Aam Aadmi Clinics in the State. He said that these clinics are acting as cornerstone in providing free of cost health services to people. Bhagwant Mann said that lakhs of people are daily getting benefit of these clinics through free diagnosis, treatment and clinical tests. The Chief Minister said that moving a step further the state government has now decided to spruce up the infrastructure in government secondary healthcare institutes across the state. He said that the sole aim is to ensure that the general public gets quality health services too without shelving huge money from their pockets. Bhagwant Mann said that these centres will be developed as ultra-modern healthcare institutes where people will get quality treatment. The Chief Minister said that the blueprint for modernisation of these centres has already been prepared to ensure that this work is executed in a time bound manner. He said that the entire work will be conducted by spending more than Rs 400 crores for which adequate provisioning has been made. Bhagwant Mann said that in the first phase Secondary Health Care Facilities i.e District Hospitals, Sub Divisional Hospitals and CHCs in bigger rural areas will be strengthened on priority. The Chief Minister said that 40 such facilities including 23 District Hospitals have been identified by the state government which will be given a facelift in the first phase. He said that the Department of Finance shall accordingly provide the requisite budgetary support for strengthening/upgrading these facilities. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is committed to ensure that this work is accorded top priority and no stone is left unturned for it in larger public interest.
