Crowds swell for pind clinic vacancies in state, spotlight on Punjab’s job crisis

As per the eligibility criteria, candidates must have one of these: a B.Sc in Nursing, a diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM), Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery (ANM), be a pharmacist with a diploma or degree in pharmacy. Preference will be given to GNM/B.Sc Nursing candidates, followed by ANM candidates and then pharmacists.

Similar scenes also took place on April 17 reported from other districts.

In Mansa, around 500 candidates turned up for just 11 posts of pind clinic in-charge and nearly 450 appeared for interviews. Sources said many also left due to the heavy rush. In Ludhiana, nearly 1,500 candidates reportedly appeared for around 200 temporary posts.

Reacting to the situation, Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu posted on X, “The Real face of ‘Badlav’ — Punjab’s youth forced onto the streets… The massive flood of unemployed youth is a stinging reality check for the Punjab government’s hollow claims of providing jobs. When thousands of qualified candidates are forced to scramble for a mere 117 posts, it exposes the dire state of unemployment in the state. Where are the tall promises of ‘Har Ghar Naukri’? Is this the ‘Rangla Punjab’ you envisioned — where our youth are left to despair?”

The ‘pind clinic’ initiative is an extension of the state government’s Aam Aadmi Clinics aimed at expanding primary healthcare coverage in rural areas.

On January 23, the Chief Minister’s Office had made the formal announcement of pind clinics. The post on social media said: “Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has announced the launch of 2,500 ‘pind clinics’ to ensure that no villager has to travel to the city for primary healthcare. These clinics will be opened across every corner of rural Punjab within the next 4 to 5 months.”

In the first phase, the government plans to open 1,100 pind clinics, which will later be expanded to 2,500. At present, the state has already operationalised 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, where doctors, nurses and pharmacists are engaged on a per-day wage basis depending on patient footfall.

Under the model, one pind clinic in-charge will cater to two clinics — operating from 8 am to 11 am at one location and from 12 noon to 3 pm at another nearby clinic. Rs 120 per day will be the travel allowance as well to commute between two clinics on working days.

Officials said the Punjab health department advertises these posts online district-wise, following which candidates report directly to the respective Civil Surgeon offices for interviews. The selection process is still underway, with the health department expected to prepare a merit list after interviews to declare results, they said.