Punjab Newsline | Hoshiarpur
Punjab Jails and NRI Affairs Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh on Monday inaugurated a newly established Aam Aadmi Clinic inside Hoshiarpur Central Jail, marking the occasion by inviting an inmate to officially open the facility.
Minister said the Punjab Government is setting new benchmarks in providing accessible and quality healthcare, ensuring free primary medical services, diagnostic tests, and medicines are available closer to people's homes—and now inside prisons as well.
Dr. Ravjot Singh said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state has established 1,090 Aam Aadmi Clinics, strengthening Punjab's primary healthcare system through skilled medical staff and free healthcare services.
With the launch of the clinic in Hoshiarpur Central Jail, the district now has 77 Aam Aadmi Clinics. The new prison clinic will provide inmates with 45 types of diagnostic tests and access to more than 100 medicines free of cost, eliminating the need for routine medical visits outside the jail.
The minister said Punjab has now opened Aam Aadmi Clinics in eight prisons across the state to ensure better healthcare for inmates. Each clinic is staffed with a Medical Officer, Pharmacist, Clinic Assistant, and Helper, enabling the delivery of quality medical services within prison premises.
He added that more than 1,400 inmates lodged in Hoshiarpur Central Jail will now be able to undergo primary health tests and receive essential medicines inside the prison itself, significantly improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery.
Highlighting the success of the Aam Aadmi Clinic initiative, Dr. Ravjot Singh said that nearly 5.90 crore patients have availed treatment at these clinics across Punjab so far. Before the expansion to 1,090 clinics, the existing 990 clinics were serving an estimated 83,000 patients daily. He added that nearly 3.5 crore diagnostic tests have already been conducted through the network.
During the event, Jail Superintendent Harcharan Singh Gill and Civil Surgeon Dr. Mandeep Kamal briefed the minister on the clinic's infrastructure, staffing, and healthcare facilities. Additional Superintendent Harbans Singh, Deputy Superintendent Asha Rani, Urban Nodal Officer for Aam Aadmi Clinics Dr. Rohit Babuta, and District Program Manager (NHM) Mohammad Asif were also present.
