CM Bhagwant Mann Expands Aam Aadmi Clinics to 1,090 in Punjab
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab announced on Sunday, July 26, 2026, that the Bhagwant Mann-led state government has dedicated 100 more Aam Aadmi Clinics to the people of Punjab, taking the total count of operational clinics across the state to 1,090.
Context
The latest expansion marks a fresh milestone under the government's ongoing Sehat Kranti (health revolution) drive. Since assuming office in March 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has positioned the rollout of free primary healthcare centres as a central plank of its welfare agenda in Punjab.
The clinics, which offer free OPD consultations and diagnostic tests, have collectively recorded over 5.90 crore OPD consultations and 3.43 crore free diagnostic tests since their launch, according to the official post.
Policy Backdrop
The Aam Aadmi Clinics are modelled on Delhi's Mohalla Clinic network, which the AAP government in the national capital began establishing in 2015. The Punjab variant replicates the core design — neighbourhood-level access, zero cost to the patient, and a standard basket of free diagnostics — adapted to the state's geography, which includes a large rural population.
The clinic network is complemented by the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, a state health insurance scheme that provides cashless treatment coverage to eligible families for secondary and tertiary care. Together, the two programmes form the twin pillars of the AAP government's healthcare architecture in Punjab. The state has also announced major investments in upgrading hospital infrastructure alongside the primary care expansion.
Stakeholders and Impact
The primary beneficiaries are Punjab's residents, particularly those in rural and semi-urban areas who previously faced significant out-of-pocket expenditure for basic consultations and blood or imaging tests. Free diagnostics at the clinic level reduce the need to travel to district hospitals for routine tests, easing both cost and time burdens on patients.
The model also complements national programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, with the state layer focusing on primary care while central schemes address hospitalisation costs. Health workers and general practitioners staffing the clinics represent a growing cadre of frontline public-health providers in the state.
What's Next
With the network now at 1,090 clinics, attention will turn to the Punjab government's budget allocations for further infrastructure expansion and whether independent assessments of health outcomes — such as reductions in preventable hospitalisations or improvements in early diagnosis rates — are commissioned and made public.
The pace of clinic additions and their geographic spread across districts will be a key indicator of whether the Sehat Kranti programme deepens its reach into underserved pockets of the state in the months ahead.