Health Minister appeals to Central govt to release Rs 621 cr Ayushman fund

Dr. Balbir Singh, Punjab’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare, once again appealed to the central government to release the Ayushman Fund of Rs 621 crore that has been accumulated so far. The central government has stopped issuing grants to the state under the Ayushman scheme since December 2022. Punjab’s health model, ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics,’ has gained international recognition, and Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh emphasized the need for the central government to release the Ayushman funds.
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Participating in the summit, where representatives from at least 85 countries attended, more than 40 countries have shown deep interest in visiting Punjab to understand how 84 essential medicines and more than 40 medical tests are being made available free of cost to patients near their homes through the ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics.’
Center Should Support: Dr. Balbir Singh urged the central government to support our health model if representatives from 40 countries want to adopt it in their countries. He emphasized that the central government should provide support, and funds should be allocated for the well-being of the people.
Chief Minister prevented fund ahortage: Dr. Balbir Singh mentioned that Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has always approved funds without any shortage for upgrading health facilities in the state. He assured that the Chief Minister has directed attention to upgrading the basic infrastructure of health care and ensuring that no one faces any trouble to get treatment in government hospitals. He also highlighted that 70 more People’s Clinics are ready to be opened, and the Chief Minister has given approval to establish clinics in health-deprived areas, including Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, and Gurdaspur.No need to go to private hospitals: To ensure the availability of medicines in government health facilities, Dr. Balbir Singh stated that the Chief Minister has given approval for the purchase of medicines. People will not have to buy medicines from private pharmacies. Dr. Balbir Singh explained that around Rs 550 crore is being spent to upgrade around 40 Secondary Care Health Facilities, including District Hospitals, Sub-Divisional Hospitals, and Community Health Centers (CHCs). The upgraded hospitals will have modern medical facilities such as Intensive Care Units (ICUs), ventilators, X-rays, ultrasound, etc. People will not have to go to private hospitals for world-class health facilities.
More Than 70 Lakh People Have Benefited: Punjab has a total of 664 People’s Clinics, out of which 236 are operational in urban areas and 428 in rural areas. These clinics are efficient and equipped with digitization for registration, medical advice, consultations, tests, and treatment. As a result, the time from patient registration to receiving treatment has been significantly reduced. More than 70 lakh patients have availed themselves of free treatment at these clinics to date.