Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced the opening of 75 ‘mohalla clinics’ in the State on August 15. Following this, the State government’s health and family welfare department proposed to convert 3,000 health sub-centers in the rural areas into mohalla clinics.
An official statement released after Mr. Mann chaired a high-level meeting of senior officers here, said that his government would be fulfilling one of its major promise made in the manifesto in the run up to the Assembly elections by establishing ‘mohalla clinics’ in urban and rural areas in a phased manner, as per the Delhi pattern.
At the meeting, Ajoy Sharma, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) informed the Chief Minister about the already existing network of nearly 3,000 health sub-centers in the rural areas being efficiently operated by trained paramedical staff headed by a Community Health Officer. Therefore, he mooted a proposal to convert them into mohalla clinics thus widening its scope and outreach so that the maximum number of people residing in villages could benefit from this.
The Chief Minister also consented to convert the non-functional ‘sewa kendras’ across the State into mohalla clinics thereby refurbishing such complexes in a uniform pattern with basic interior components including a doctor’s room, reception-cum-waiting area, and a Pharmacy, besides separate toilets for staff and visiting patients. The statement said he also suggested forming a cluster of five to six adjoining villages by establishing a mohalla clinic at a central location, which would help bring the majority of people residing in rural areas within its ambit.
The Chief Minister also asked Mr. Sharma to immediately start the process of hiring doctors and paramedics on contract basis, for the mohalla clinics.
