Several sections of society, including health workers, have accused the government of changing the names of already existing health centers with the opening of new Aam Aadmi Clinics on January 27. With the addition of more Aam Aadmi Clinics, the district would have 32 centers, 15 of which are in the urban areas and the rest in the rural ones.
Aam Aadmi Clinics will serve as Community Health Centers, Urban Health Centers, Primary Health Centres, and Dispensaries, according to Punjab State Pharmacy Officers Association president Ashok Kumar. Despite changing their names, no new employees have been hired.” According to him, changing the names alone would not improve health care.
Five satellite hospitals have been converted into Aam Aadmi Clinics after the Panj Pyaras (five beloved ones). There is Bhai Dharam Singh Satellite Hospital in Ranjit Avenue, Bhai Daya Singh Satellite Hospital in Mustafabad, Bhai Mohkam Singh Satellite Hospital in Saketri Bagh, Bhai Himmat Singh Satellite Hospital in Kale Ghanupur, and Bhai Sahib Singh Satellite Hospital in Fatehpur. Aam Aadmi Clinics have replaced the names of these five hospitals.
Shamsher Singh Kohri, a prominent leader of the employees and patron of the pharmacy officers association, said, “We cannot understand why the government is changing the names of health institutions named after great religious figures.” As now rural pharmacists will be running these centers, they have already expressed their displeasure with the government. A monthly salary of Rs 11,000 is paid to rural pharmacists. All the government has done is rename the existing facilities and advertise them as achievements, instead of doing anything concrete for the employees who are the backbone of the medical services,” he said.
