Punjab scales new heights in healthcare delivery

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann, a series of landmark initiatives have been implemented by the Punjab Government to ensure accessible, affordable, and advanced healthcare services for all citizens. During this period, unprecedented progress was recorded across primary healthcare, advanced tertiary care—including liver transplant services—expansion of health coverage, infrastructure strengthening, and augmentation of human resources.

A major transformation in primary healthcare delivery has been brought about through the establishment of Aam Aadmi Clinics. Since their inception, treatment has been provided to more than 4.59 crore patients at 881 clinics across the state, including 1.59 crore unique patients. These clinics offer 107 essential medicines and 47 diagnostic tests free of cost, substantially reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure for residents. In addition, 235 more Aam Aadmi Clinics are currently under various stages of development, which is expected to further enhance healthcare access.

In a historic move, preparations have been completed to enhance coverage under the Chief Minister's Health Insurance Scheme from lakh to lakh per family per year in the coming month. Under this expanded coverage, cashless treatment will be ensured at government as well as empanelled private hospitals across Punjab and Chandigarh. With this step, Punjab is set to become the first state in the country to offer cashless medical treatment of up to {10 lakh per family annually.

The initiative to provide free essential medicines has been further reinforced through the expansion of the Essential Drug List from 276 to 360 medicines. Since April 2025, medicines and medical supplies worth more than crore have been procured. To ensure uninterrupted availability, Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) have been authorised to locally procure both EDL and non-EDL medicines. From 01 April 2025 onwards, an amount of crore has been utilised for this purpose. Similarly, under the diagnostics initiative, X-ray and ultrasound services are being made available at all secondary healthcare facilities and empanelled diagnostic centres at government-notified affordable rates.

To address shortages in healthcare manpower, 3,620 health professionals—including specialists, medical officers, nurses, and frontline workers—have been recruited over the past three years. Measures such as reappointment of specialists up to the age of 65 years and empanelment-based service engagement have been adopted to ensure the continued availability of specialist services.

In the field of medical education and advanced care, a historic milestone was achieved with the successful conduct of the first liver transplant surgery at the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (PILBS), Mohali. In addition, MBBS and postgraduate seats have been increased in government medical colleges at Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, Faridkot, and Chandigarh, thereby strengthening tertiary healthcare training capacity.

Under the CM di Yogshala initiative, benefits have been extended to more than 6 lakh people so far. Across 23 districts, over 1.64 lakh individuals participate daily in 5,347 yoga classes. Further strengthening this effort, Guru Ravidas Ayurved University has launched a one-year diploma in Meditation and Yoga Sciences to train 3,300 yoga instructors.

The "Friday Dengue Strike" campaign launched in 2025 delivered significant outcomes, resulting in a 70 percent reduction in dengue cases compared to 2023 and a decline of up to 90 percent in denguerelated deaths. Substantial progress was also achieved in controlling non-communicable diseases through the Punjab ST EMI and Stroke Projects, which have now been expanded to all 23 districts. Under the STEMI project, timely thrombolysis for heart attack patients is being ensured, with Tenecteplase injections—costing between Q5,000 and provided free of cost.

Similarly, the Punjab Stroke Project aims to provide free mechanical thrombectomy to patients suffering from ischemic stroke. In parallel, an Al-based cancer screening project has been launched in five districts, while district day-care cancer centres have become operational in Bathinda and Jalandhar.

Under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, more than 5.09 lakh individuals were screened for Hepatitis C and 3.69 lakh for Hepatitis B, following which thousands are receiving free treatment. During this period, hepatitis testing kits were made available at 2,400 Health and Wellness Centres and all Aam Aadmi Clinics across the state.

Healthcare infrastructure has also been strengthened through the renovation of the emergency wing at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, establishment of new trauma centres at Amritsar and Patiala, and development of a super-speciality block, child block, and cafeteria at Faridkot. Newborn units, hostels, and staff housing projects are currently underway at medical colleges across Punjab.

Through these comprehensive measures, a firm commitment has been reiterated by the Punjab Government towards building a robust, inclusive, and future-ready healthcare system for the people of the state.