E-Paper
Department to conduct survey to rationalise health facilities in Punjab
In a performa sent to district administrations, Punjab health department has asked for the population to which a particular health facility caters to and its distance from the other health facilities and the staff.
Amid the thrust to make the newly opened Aam Aadmi Clinics a successful venture, the health department has decided to conduct a survey to rationalise health facilities in Punjab.
The department has sought details about dispensaries and other health centres overlapping each other in a particular area from civil surgeons.
According to a circular sent by the department, the district health administrations have been asked to give details about primary health centres in rural and urban areas, Aam Aadmi Clinics, urban dispensaries, subsidiary health centres working with the health department and the rural development department and sub-centres and health wellness centres.
In the performa sent to the district administrations, the health department has specifically asked for the population to which a particular health facility caters to and its distance from the other health facilities and the staff.
“Is this facility collocated/overlapping with any other health facility (yes/no). Overlapping or collocation could be between any of these facilities,” the details sought mention.
Details have also been sought about the referral facilities attached to the health facility and their distance from that area.
Director, health services, Dr Ranjit Singh, while confirming the rationalisation move, said the sole purpose of the exercise is to strengthen the primary health facilities in the state.
“It has been observed that in Punjab, we have health facilities functional under different schemes. But they are existing in a manner that at some place there is a provision of doctor but there is no paramedical staff or testing facilities. There are some centres where there is a provision of paramedical staff but no provision of doctors. On papers they are health centres but are not effectively delivering health services,” he said.
However, insiders in the department claimed that the move aimed at opening more Aam Aadmi Clinics and finding ways to open in areas where already other centres are working.
The government aims to expand Aam Aadmi Clinics as they have been opened up under the much-publicised scheme, Mohalla Clinic, the AAP-led Delhi government’s scheme.
Meanwhile, the rationalisation move has increased apprehension among a section of doctors that after this the department may forcefully shift doctors from the existing areas, the insiders claimed.
“This move is aimed at finishing off dispensaries in rural areas. The strength of the population being covered by a health service centre cannot describe its importance. Our existing health infrastructure has been made such that it caters to each and every segment of society, especially in far-flung and rural areas. The previous government finished 500 rural dispensaries catering to 3,000 villages and the health department had been failing in appointing doctors in rural areas for the last 20 years. Now this government, instead of strengthening the health sector in rural areas, is trying to finish the rest of the dispensaries,” said Dr Aslum Parvez, president of the Punjab Rural Medical Services Association.
However, the director, health services, denied these claims. “Through rationalisation, we want to strengthen our aim of giving health services through three Ds that is doctor, drugs and diagnostic,” he said, adding that the Aam Aadmi Clinics are also trying to do the same.
