(MENAFN- IANS) Chandigarh, Oct 14 (IANS) Embarking on a comprehensive mission to further elevate the public healthcare infrastructure, the Punjab government is all set to open 236 new Aam Aadmi Clinics -- taking the total to 1,117 -- Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh said here on Tuesday.

The Health Minister was presiding over a high-level meeting with Civil Surgeons.

Highlighting the success of the Aam Aadmi Clinics, Balbir Singh said the initiative has significantly improved public access to quality primary care.

Citing a recent Patient Feedback Survey by the Punjab Development Commission, he noted that a remarkable 96 per cent of patients expressed satisfaction with the clinics' services, underscoring their effectiveness.

Reaffirming the state government's commitment to prioritising citizens' health and wellbeing, Balbir Singh directed Civil Surgeons to expedite the establishment of new Aam Aadmi Clinics and promptly initiate recruitment of doctors and essential staff to ensure the timely operationalisation of the clinics.

He said the primary healthcare network will receive a significant boost through the distribution of health kits to ASHAs and essential equipment to Community Health Officers (CHOs), enhancing grassroots-level care delivery.

Balbir Singh announced that Punjab is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for early detection and management of critical diseases like breast cancer and stroke.

A significant initiative in preventive child health will equip all 250 RBSK teams with AI auto-refractor devices to enhance the detection of refractive errors in school children. The program will provide affected children with spectacles, safeguarding their vision and future.

Underlining the state's proactive and elaborate preventive measures, which led to extraordinary results in the fight against vector-borne diseases.

Balbir Singh highlighted the exceptional success of the 'Har Shukarvar Dengue Te Var' campaign, which has resulted in a remarkable 80 per cent decrease in dengue cases compared to 2023.

Civil Surgeons were instructed to intensify anti-dengue activities in potential hotspot areas to ensure this positive trend continues.

In a move to foster a culture of excellence and dedication, the Health Minister lauded the heroic efforts of doctors and paramedical staff during the recent floods and promised the unveiling of a new policy to annually honour and recognise hard-working personnel.

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