Re-branding of Aam Aadmi Clinics: State gets ₹164 cr as 2nd instalment under NHM
With this second instalment, the Punjab Government has received around ₹190 crore from around ₹1,200 crore of NHM funds stuck since 2023.
With the Punjab government agreeing to re-name Aam Aadmi Clinics, after being at loggerheads with the Centre, the state has received another share of ₹164 crore under National Health Mission (NHM).
The funds meant for infrastructure maintenance was due for the year 2022-23 and this is second instalment the state has received after Punjab Government softened its stand and decided to remove chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s picture from health centres which were originally health and wellness clinics but were later named Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs).
The Centre had strongly objected to this and had stopped the funding under NHM in January 2023.
With this second instalment, the Punjab Government has received around ₹190 crore from around ₹1,200 crore of NHM funds stuck since 2023.
According to senior health officials, the second instalment reached state treasuries in the last week of November. The first instalment of ₹123 crore was released on November 12.
Notably, after reaching a consensus with the Centre, the state health department has started the process of re-branding hundreds of Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs).
As per the latest orders dated November 27, issued by Punjab health department, around 242 urban AACs will be re-branded as Ayushman Arogya Kendras also known as health and wellness centres.
Along with this, 466 primary health centres (PHCs) and health and wellness centres (HWCs), which were also re-branded as AACs, will display Ayushman Arogya Kendra boards, without Mann’s picture, at the entrance of these clinics.
The state government has also sanctioned ₹4 crore for the district health authorities to rebrand the AACs as Ayushman Arogya Kendras.
Meanwhile, ₹621 crore is due for the year 2023-24 and there is no written clarity on the issue yet by the Centre about whether the state will get this share or not.
“We have received ₹164 crore more last week. As far as the NHM payments for the previous year are concerned, the government has taken up the case with the Union health ministry,” a senior health department functionary said.
