Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday directed the health department to launch an intensified awareness campaign across the state to ensure that more people benefit from the government's flagship Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna (MMSY) and Aam Aadmi Clinics.
Chairing a review meeting on the implementation of the two healthcare programmes, Mann stressed the need for sustained outreach, saying eligible beneficiaries should be made fully aware of the facilities and free treatment available to them.
Clinics record 6.11 crore OPDs
Reviewing the performance of Aam Aadmi Clinics, Mann said 1,090 such facilities are currently functioning across Punjab, including 603 in rural areas and 487 in urban centres. Together, the clinics have recorded 6.11 crore outpatient department visits so far, while 1.91 crore unique patients have visited them for free treatment.
Around 93,000 patients are currently visiting Aam Aadmi Clinics every day, translating into an average of 86 OPD visits per clinic. Mann said the scale of utilisation demonstrated the importance of the clinics in providing primary healthcare close to people's homes.
The Chief Minister said data generated through the network was also helping the government identify disease patterns across different districts and could be used to plan future healthcare interventions more effectively.
Women account for 53.7 per cent of patients visiting the clinics, compared with 46.3 per cent men. Mann said such information was providing the government with useful insights while designing and strengthening public health programmes.
The clinics currently provide 107 medicines free of cost, which the Chief Minister said was reducing the financial burden of healthcare on families.
1.25 crore under Sehat Yojna
Reviewing the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, Mann said more than 50 lakh households, comprising around 1.25 crore beneficiaries, have been covered under the programme so far.
More than 5.90 lakh beneficiaries have already received free treatment through the scheme at 892 empanelled hospitals. The network comprises 223 government hospitals and 669 private healthcare facilities.
The figures also indicate a strong rural uptake of the programme, with 68 per cent of beneficiaries coming from rural Punjab and the remaining 32 per cent from urban areas.
Private hospitals show interest
Mann said an increasing number of private hospitals were seeking empanelment under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, describing the trend as an encouraging sign of greater participation by private healthcare providers in the government's programme.
He said expanding the network of participating hospitals would provide beneficiaries with greater choice and improve access to treatment across the state.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that lack of information does not prevent eligible families from accessing either programme. The health department has been asked to strengthen its communication and outreach efforts, particularly in areas where awareness or utilisation remains relatively low.
Mann said the objective should be to take affordable and accessible healthcare to every eligible resident, with the government using both the Aam Aadmi Clinic network and the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna to expand primary and hospital-based care across Punjab.