Chandigarh-In a serious stride towards safeguarding the well being of future generations, the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Authorities has efficiently decentralized maternal healthcare, with Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) rising as the brand new lifeline for expectant moms. Inside simply 4 months of launching a specialised, protocol-driven being pregnant care mannequin, the state has recorded a large surge in service utilization, with practically 20,000 pregnant ladies visiting these clinics each month.
Sharing the success of the initiative, Punjab Well being and Household Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh revealed that this system has already offered free ultrasound providers to over 10,000 ladies by way of a singular referral system. By empanelling practically 500 personal diagnostic facilities, the federal government has ensured that girls can entry scans—which normally price between ₹800 and ₹2,000—solely freed from cost. This intervention alone has saved Punjab’s households an estimated ₹1 crore in out-of-pocket bills in a brief span of 120 days.
Official information reveals that lower than 70 p.c of pregnant ladies in Punjab had obtained their first ante-natal check-up and fewer than 60 p.c had accomplished the really useful 4 check-ups, whereas the state’s maternal mortality ratio stood at 90 per one lakh dwell births, increased than the nationwide common. These figures underlined the pressing want for a complete, accessible being pregnant care mannequin throughout the state.
Punjab witnesses practically 4.3 lakh pregnancies yearly, making early detection, common monitoring, and well timed referral essential for safeguarding the well being of moms and infants. During the last three years, the Mann authorities has established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, which have emerged because the spine of Punjab’s main healthcare system, recording over 4.6 crore OPD visits and treating practically 70,000 sufferers each day. Leveraging this infrastructure, the federal government launched an expanded, protocol-driven being pregnant care mannequin by way of AACs round 4 months in the past.
Underneath this reform, all important ante-natal check-ups are actually out there at Aam Aadmi Clinics themselves. These embody routine and significant checks resembling HIV and syphilis screening, full blood checks, sugar, thyroid, hepatitis, fetal coronary heart price, ldl cholesterol and hemoglobin assessments. The place ultrasounds are required, AAC medical doctors problem referral slips enabling pregnant ladies to entry free ultrasound providers.
Importantly, round 5,000 ladies are being recognized month-to-month as high-risk pregnancies, permitting for steady monitoring, targeted assist, and well timed referral to increased medical amenities for specialist care.
The reform has additionally considerably improved the affected person expertise. Ladies can now full most pregnancy-related checks near their houses, keep away from lengthy journey and queues at main hospitals, obtain consultations inside minutes, and entry ultrasound providers with none monetary burden. From the primary ante-natal go to to post-natal follow-up, the initiative strengthens your entire being pregnant care pathway by integrating know-how, standardised medical protocols, referral programs and community-level assist.
On this momentous achievement, Well being Minister stated the initiative displays the Punjab authorities’s dedication to maternal and little one well being. “Underneath the visionary management of Bhagwant Mann, Punjab is constructing a healthcare system that ensures each mom receives high quality care near dwelling. With 4.3 lakh pregnancies yearly, the enlargement of being pregnant care providers at Aam Aadmi Clinics is a transformative step and units a brand new benchmark for main healthcare in India,” he stated.
The federal government maintains that the initiative is one among Punjab’s most important investments in maternal and little one well being lately, aimed toward making certain that no lady is left behind as a result of geography, earnings constraints or lack of know-how, whereas steadily bettering well being outcomes for moms and newborns throughout the state.
