No central funds, Punjab to make changes in Aam Aadmi Clinics

Tribune News Service

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, April 11

After the Centre has stopped funds for the Aam Aadmi Clinics, the Punjab Government seems to succumb to pressure and told the Centre that they are ready to make changes as per the central guidelines.

In a letter written last month to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said they were ready to make changes in the branding of the Aam Aadmi Clinics and requested the Centre to release the funds.

Earlier, irked over turning Health Wellness Centres (HWC) into the Aam Aadmi Clinics in February, the Centre had threatened Punjab that central funding for the National Health Mission (NHM) would be stopped.

In his letter, Dr Singh said the process of branding of all PHCs-HWCs on the pattern would be taken up in the due course of time and, therefore, at least three months be permitted to the state to undertake the exercise, he said.

He also requested the Union minister that the fourth tranche of funds under the NHM and the funds for various schemes might be released in order to ensure the implementation of the National Health Programmes.

Arguing the state’s case, he also said the establishment and operationalisation of the Health and Wellness Centres was a collective effort of the Centre and the state government.

In February, the Centre had said it won’t provide the next instalment of around Rs 546 crore to the state government under the National Health Mission. Punjab got approval of Rs 1,114.57 crore from the Centre under the NHM in the ratio of 60:40 (Central share: state share) in 2022-23.

Apart from hauling-up the state for violating the provisions of the MoU signed for the Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC), the Centre had blamed Punjab for ‘vitiating the spirit of the scheme of the AB-HWC and defaulting on its commitment’.

All attempts to contact Dr Balbir remained futile as he did not take call despite repeated attempts.

‘Violations’

• The name Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres had been changed to Aam Aadmi Clinics
• The outer surface of the buildings should have been yellow but Punjab changed it as per own convenience
• The building, doors and windows should had communication graphics in circles but Punjab had put CM Mann’s photographs

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