E-Paper
Ludhiana civil surgeon orders audit of Aam Aadmi Clinics
The audit also aims to investigate instances where doctors are reportedly receiving salaries exceeding ₹1.5 lakh per month
Civil surgeon Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh on Thursday ordered audit of Aam Aadmi Clinics (AAC) in the district following reports of discrepancies in the outpatient department (OPD) data.
The audit also aims to investigate instances where doctors are reportedly receiving salaries exceeding ₹1.5 lakh per month. There are 75 Aam Aadmi Clinics in Ludhiana district.
“It has come to our attention that 75 Aam Aadmi Clinics have been opened in Ludhiana district so far, each with varying daily OPD counts. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct an audit on medical officers who have received empanelment fees exceeding ₹1.5 lakh rupees during January 2024,” the letter stated.
The Civil Surgeon further directed that the audit report be completed within seven days.
The Aam Aadmi Clinics that have come under the lens include AAC Corporation Office near Durga Mata Mandir; AAC Corporation Old Age Home c/o MCH civil hospital Ludhiana; AAC Haibowal Kalan; AAC Jagat Nagar Park, Jassia Road; AAC Dhandri Kalan; AAC Indra Park; Giaspura, AAC Bhagwan Nagar; AAC Star City Colony near Tibba Road; Aam Aadmi Partap Nagar Tibba Road; Aam Aadmi Clinic, Dharamshala, New Kuldeep Nagar; AAC Sofia Chowk Kidwai Nagar; AAC Salem Tabri; AAC Killa Mohalla; AAC GK Enclave, Lalheri Road, Khanna; and AAC Dugri.
The data accessed by HT reveals that 28 out of the 75 mohalla clinics in the district have reported significantly lower patient counts, with some showing a decline of over 40% between December 2023 and January 2024.
As part of its healthcare initiative, the AAP government provides doctors assigned to mohalla clinics with an incentive of ₹50 per patient. Additionally, pharmacists and clinical assistants receive ₹12 and ₹10, respectively, for each patient they attend to. Doctors receive a fixed monthly salary of approximately ₹63,000, while clinical assistants and pharmacists are guaranteed minimum salaries of ₹11,000 and ₹12,000, respectively.
According to reports, in order to make more incentive, several clinics log fake data leading to unusual surge in the income of the staff at the AACs.
According to sources from the health department, the decrease in patient footfall at AACs was witnessed after the civil surgeon issued notice to a clinic reporting an average of 192 patients per day. This action prompted several mohalla clinics to rectify the numbers at the OPD, resulting in a decrease of at least 40% in OPD counts in some of the highly-visited clinics.
