Opposition parties in Punjab on Friday described the opening of ‘Aam Aadmi’ clinics in the state as a “publicity stunt”, saying it was a classic case of old wine in new bottle as the government was only renaming the existing health facilities.  

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday launched 400 more Aam Aadmi clinics, taking the total number of these neighbourhood health centres to 500 in the state.       

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, in a statement, said these clinics looked more like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) offices and extension counters than health centres.

He said the AAP-led state government was only renaming the already existing facilities as Aam Aadmi clinics as its purpose was more to gain political mileage than provide health care to the people. 

Warring asked why these clinics were named as Aam Aadmi clinics with the chief minister’s photograph rather than as government clinics.

Who is paying for it, the government or the AAP? he asked while asserting that these clinics should be renamed.  

First of all, there was no need to open such clinics as Punjab already has a robust healthcare system which was proved by the fact that the government was only renaming the existing health facilities and superimposing the party’s name on them which is illegal,” he said. 

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said superficial” and “half-hearted measures would not be sufficient to make Punjab a ‘Rangla’ (vibrant) state. 

It is a well-known fact that government-run dispensaries, especially in rural areas, and civil hospitals are a picture of absolute neglect, and patients and their attendants have been continuously demanding upgradation of these medical facilities, he said.

However, instead of improving and investing in the aforesaid shortcomings, the AAP government is spending crores of rupees of the state exchequer to deck up these so-called mohalla clinics so that they look outwardly good in appearance,” he said.  

President All India Kissan Congress and Bholath MLA, Sukhpal Singh Khaira also objected to naming the centres as ‘aam aadmi clinics’. 

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said Kejriwal had in 2019 said that the AAP did not believe in changing names, but making lives better. 

However, in Punjab, the party is doing the opposite. It first turned 100 Seva Kendra buildings into mohalla clinics. Now, it has turned 500 primary health centre buildings into ‘aam aadmi Clinics, he said.   

Meanwhile, the SGPC in Amritsar accused the AAP government of changing the name of Panj Piara health centres here into Aam Aadmi clinics.

The executive committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) also passed a resolution strongly condemning it.

SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said on the 300th anniversary of ‘Khalsa Sajna Diwas’, five health centres were established by the Akali government in Amritsar in the name of ‘Panj Piaras’ (five beloved ones), which were changed as Aam Aadmi clinics by the AAP government. 

He said it is an insult to memorials of the Sikh community. 

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