Punjab to conduct 'health audit'

Punjab Government today said it will conduct a "health audit" of all the people residing in the state and also provide them with a health card in its attempt to ensure "health for all".
The decision was taken by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at the first meeting of the State Health Mission here, an official spokesman said.
Badal directed the Health department to chalk out a comprehensive plan to issue a health card to every citizen of the state as part of "health audit" so as to enable them to lead a healthy life.
The Chief Minister also directed the employees of the health department to work relentlessly for further strengthening the sector to provide proper and timely health care facilities to every person in the state at their door steps through Mobile Health Vans.

He also approved to launch a pilot project of the scheme under Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme in Balachaur and Mukandpur blocks of SBS Nagar district, covering 210 villages with population 1,85,311.
Under this project, printed Family Health Cards will be given, which would later be converted into individual smart card with personal digital health record having tracking facility of particular person at all levels regarding health services.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also approved the construction of 11 new Urban Civil Health Centres (CHCs) at a cost of Rs 35 crore, besides ten new Urban Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state.

Badal also approved to establish 23 Urban Kiosks in slum areas at a cost of Rs 16.50 crore.
Under this scheme, two Kiosks in Amritsar, four in Bathinda, six in Jalandhar, seven in Ludhiana and one each in Patiala, Malerkotla, Khanna and Mohali would be set up.
For strengthening manpower in the health department, Badal gave nod to recruit 33 full time and 60 part-time doctors, 186 staff nurses, 33 pharmacists, 93 lab technicians among others.
Mapping and survey of 40 cities will also be conducted besides constituting 8,974 Mahila Arogya Samitis, he said.