Free health services if AAP wins 2022 Punjab elections: Kejriwal
Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced the "second list of pre-poll promises" at an event in Punjab's Ludhiana ahead of the Assembly elections early next year. Kejriwal promised free healthcare for all Punjab residents if the AAP is elected to power. The AAP has notably been gaining ground in the state as the ruling Indian National Congress faces a crisis.
Kejriwal made six guarantees ahead of the upcoming Punjab elections. He said, "We will be providing free and best treatment for every resident of Punjab in government hospitals. It will be at par with private facilities." Kejriwal also promised free medicines, tests, and surgeries at government hospitals. "Even if a surgery costs Rs. 10-20 lakh, it will be free at government hospitals," Kejriwal announced.
Kejriwal further announced that every person in the state would get a health card bearing their entire medical history. "It will have the medical history of a patient so that one does not need to carry around all reports," he added. Following the model of Delhi's "mohalla clinics," Kejriwal said "pind clinics" will be established in every village of Punjab.
Delhi's "world-famous mohalla clinics" will be replicated in Punjab through pind clinics and ward clinics. "Pind clinics in every village of Punjab and ward clinics in the cities will be opened. There will be around 16,000 of these," he said.
Another guarantee promised by Kejriwal is a complete revamp of the existing government hospitals. "All existing government hospitals in Punjab will be revamped, renovated, air-conditioned, and upgraded like private facilities. New government hospitals will also be set up," said Kejriwal. He also promised that free treatment would be provided to road accident victims once admitted to the nearest hospital.
As his first pre-poll guarantee in Punjab, Kejriwal had promised free 300 units of electricity and 24*7 uninterrupted supply if voted to power. He had also promised a waiver of pending electricity bill arrears and the restoration of electricity connections. The free electricity and bill waiver promises will be enacted immediately after being elected, but ensuring 24-hour supply will take two-three years, he said.
