Free health care, ‘pind clinics’ for all in Punjab: Kejriwal
LUDHIANA: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday promised free health care services for the residents of Punjab if his party is voted to power in the 2022 assembly elections.
Announcing six guarantees in the health care sector at a public meeting in Ludhiana, the Delhi chief minister promised free and best treatment for every resident, free medicines, tests and surgeries, a health card for every resident, “pind clinics” in every village and ward clinics in every city, complete revamp of the government hospitals and free treatment for road accident victims.
“Every resident of Punjab will get the free and best treatment. All medicines and tests, treatment and surgery will be free of cost. Even if a surgery costs ₹15 lakh, it will be free at the government hospitals...,” he said.
Claiming that all government-run health institutions in Punjab, except the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, are in a pitiable condition, he said: “These private hospitals loot people, while in the government sector, there is a serious shortage of staff and infrastructure.”
He added that every person in Punjab will be issued a health card, just like in Delhi. “It will have the medical history of a patient.”
Kejriwal also promised a replication of the “world-famous mohalla clinics” of Delhi. “Pind clinics in every village of Punjab and ward clinics in the cities will be opened,” he said.
“If there is any road accident, one should get the person admitted at the nearest hospital and the government will bear the entire treatment. Our focus will be on saving lives.”
Asked about the party’s CM face in the state, he said: “An announcement will be made in this regard in due time.”
“People chose Congress five years ago with great hopes, but all hopes are dashed now. Everyone wants to be CM in Congress and the infighting has become all the murkier. We are not like them nor are we hungry for power,” he added.
Attacking the Delhi CM, both the ruling Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal asked him to “fulfil the promises in Delhi first”. “Noting the number of Delhi residents arriving in Punjab for treatment during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was clear Kejriwal was putting out fake advertisements about health facilities...,” said deputy chief minister and minister in-charge of health, OP Soni.
Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal told news agency ANI: “AAP promised to build a total of 1,000 mohalla clinics in the national capital but it has built only 440, and of this 270 are not working. Kejriwal should fulfil the promises in Delhi first and then concentrate on any other state.”