CHANDIGARH, January 4:
In a major stride toward safeguarding the health of future generations, the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has successfully decentralized maternal healthcare, with Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) emerging as the new lifeline for expectant mothers. Within just four months of launching a specialized, protocol-driven pregnancy care model, the state has recorded a massive surge in service utilization, with nearly 20,000 pregnant women visiting these clinics every month.
Sharing the success of the initiative, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh revealed that the program has already provided free ultrasound services to over 10,000 women through a unique referral system. By empanelling nearly 500 private diagnostic centers, the government has ensured that women can access scans—which usually cost between ₹800 and ₹2,000—entirely free of charge. This intervention alone has saved Punjab’s families an estimated ₹1 crore in out-of-pocket expenses in a short span of 120 days.
Official data shows that less than 70 percent of pregnant women in Punjab had received their first ante-natal check-up and fewer than 60 percent had completed the recommended four check-ups, while the state’s maternal mortality ratio stood at 90 per one lakh live births, higher than the national average. These figures underlined the urgent need for a comprehensive, accessible pregnancy care model across the state.
Punjab witnesses nearly 4.3 lakh pregnancies every year, making early detection, regular monitoring, and timely referral critical for safeguarding the health of mothers and infants. Over the last three years, the Mann government has established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, which have emerged as the backbone of Punjab’s primary healthcare system, recording over 4.6 crore OPD visits and treating nearly 70,000 patients daily. Leveraging this infrastructure, the government launched an expanded, protocol-driven pregnancy care model through AACs around four months ago.
Under this reform, all essential ante-natal check-ups are now available at Aam Aadmi Clinics themselves. These include routine and critical tests such as HIV and syphilis screening, complete blood tests, sugar, thyroid, hepatitis, fetal heart rate, cholesterol and hemoglobin assessments. Where ultrasounds are required, AAC doctors issue referral slips enabling pregnant women to access free ultrasound services.
Importantly, around 5,000 women are being identified monthly as high-risk pregnancies, allowing for continuous tracking, focused support, and timely referral to higher medical facilities for specialist care.
The reform has also significantly improved the patient experience. Women can now complete most pregnancy-related tests close to their homes, avoid long travel and queues at major hospitals, receive consultations within minutes, and access ultrasound services without any financial burden. From the first ante-natal visit to post-natal follow-up, the initiative strengthens the entire pregnancy care pathway by integrating technology, standardised clinical protocols, referral systems and community-level support.
On this momentous achievement, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the initiative reflects the Punjab government’s commitment to maternal and child health. “Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab is building a healthcare system that ensures every mother receives quality care close to home. With 4.3 lakh pregnancies annually, the expansion of pregnancy care services at Aam Aadmi Clinics is a transformative step and sets a new benchmark for primary healthcare in India,” he said.
The government maintains that the initiative is one of Punjab’s most significant investments in maternal and child health in recent years, aimed at ensuring that no woman is left behind due to geography, income constraints or lack of awareness, while steadily improving health outcomes for mothers and newborns across the state.
