After promising free electricity and bill waivers, Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday promised to provide free and improved medical treatment for all in government hospitals in Punjab. If voted to power in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, Kejriwal outlined "six guarantees" related to the healthcare that the party would ensure for citizens.
On a two-day visit to Punjab, Kejriwal addressed a news conference in Ludhiana where he said,
"Today, I have come to give a guarantee related to health services". He said that these “six guarantees” related to healthcare would surely be implemented if AAP is voted to power.
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"The condition in government hospitals in Punjab is so bad that people are forced to go to private facilities. And there is loot in private hospitals. In government hospitals in the state, people are facing problems with regards to medicines, availability of doctors and better equipment," Kejriwal said, flanked by AAP state unit chief and MP Bhagwant Mann.
"We changed the shape of government hospitals in Delhi. I am giving six guarantees for health of citizens (if AAP is voted to power in Punjab)," he added.
Every person in Punjab will be given free and better treatment in government hospitals, which will be at par with the private ones, Kejriwal said, adding that all medicines, tests and operations will be free.
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"Even if anyone incurs expenses on operations up to Rs 10-15 lakh, that too will be free in government hospitals," he said.
"Every citizen of Punjab will be given a health card, which will have all health-related information of that particular individual. It will be our responsibility to give the best treatment," Kejriwal said, adding, "All data will be available online."
Like Delhi's Mohalla Clinics, "Pind Clinics" will be opened in Punjab. As many as 16,000 such facilities will be set up, he said.
All government hospitals in Punjab will be improved with better equipment, and bigger medical facilities will be opened, Kejriwal said.
"Treatment expenses of road accident victims will be borne by our government if the AAP is voted to power," he said
(With inputs from PTI)
