Healthcare in doldrums, state lost 800 cr under Mann, alleges SAD’s Iqbal Jhundan

Iqbal Jhundan: "The situation was such that community health centres (CHCs), primary health centres (PHCs) and sub divisional hospitals in chief minister’s Sangrur district were in dire straits".

Iqbal Singh Jhundan: "It is shocking that most centres and hospitals have stopped night services due to shortage of staff.” (PTI File)

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The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s insistence of changing nomenclature of the Ayushman Bharat Wellness Centres to Aam Aadmi Clinics was costing the state around Rs 800 crore.

In a written statement released on Friday, senior Akali leader, Iqbal Singh Jhundan, said “The situation was such that community health centres (CHCs), primary health centres (PHCs) and sub divisional hospitals in chief minister’s Sangrur district were in dire straits. It is shocking that most centres and hospitals have stopped night services due to shortage of staff.”

Jhundan, in his statement, further said, “The situation was the same elsewhere in the state also, with lack of funds resulting in healthcare centres denying even basic facilities to patients. The Aam Aadmi Clinics, which were opened with much fanfare by the chief minister, have also resulted in the near total collapse of the healthcare system in rural areas. Even many hospitals which used to treat emergency patients during night time are denying treatment because staff from the same has been shifted to Aam Aadmi Clinics”.

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Asserting that the root cause for this state of affairs was the rebranding of rural dispensaries into Aam Aadmi Clinics, Jhundan said, “First crores [of Rupees] were spent to rebrand the health facilities which included pasting the chief minister’s pictures on them. This was followed by a multi-crore advertising campaign to deceive Punjabis.”

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The SAD leader added, “The after effects of this self glorification drive had resulted in denial of Rs 800 crore to the state under the National Health Mission. The state has lost an additional Rs 2,800 crore due to misutilisation of central schemes.”

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