🏥 What Are Aam Aadmi Clinics Doing for Pregnancy Care?

Punjab has expanded maternal health services at its Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) — decentralized primary healthcare centres established across towns and villages — so expectant mothers can receive key pregnancy‑related care close to home instead of travelling long distances to hospitals.

📍 Making Antenatal Care Accessible

  • Under the state’s initiative, Aam Aadmi Clinics now offer comprehensive pregnancy services, including routine check‑ups, health monitoring and early risk assessment.
  • The clinics help reduce barriers such as travel time, cost, and overcrowding at larger hospitals — particularly important for rural and semi‑urban families.

📊 Impact So Far: Uptake and Reach

👩‍⚕️ More women Are Coming In for Care

  • Nearly 20,000 pregnant women visit these clinics every month for ante‑natal check‑ups and related services, according to government data over recent months.
  • This uptick shows growing trust and reliance on local health providers for essential pregnancy support.

🩺 Free Ultrasound Services

  • Through a referral system, the clinics have provided over 10,000 free ultrasound scans in just a few months — a critical diagnostic step during pregnancy. Clinics issue referral slips that let women get scans at empanelled diagnostic centres without any cost.

💰 Savings for Families

  • Typically, ultrasound tests cost between ₹800 to ₹2,000 in private facilities. The free scans through AAC referrals help families save money — reportedly amounting to roughly ₹1 crore in total cost savings in the early phase of the programme.

🩹 Why This Matters — The Bigger health Context

🔎 Improving Maternal health Indicators

Before this initiative, punjab faced gaps in maternal care: less than 70 % of pregnant women were reported to have received even one antenatal check‑up, and fewer than 60 % completed the recommended four visits during pregnancy. This shortfall was reflected in a higher‑than‑average maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the state.

By bringing services closer to where women live, AACs help tackle these gaps early — supporting regular monitoring, early risk detection, and timely referrals to higher‑level care when necessary.

📍 Decentralisation Saves Time and Effort

For many women, especially in rural or remote areas, going to big hospitals for every check‑up was difficult due to travel distance, expense, and lost work time. Offering core ante‑natal services locally — including lab tests, check‑ups, and health counselling — helps reduce those barriers and encourages more routine engagement with healthcare providers.

📌 How the Model Works at a Glance

Services Offered at Clinics

  • Routine ante‑natal health check‑ups
  • Monitoring of fetal development
  • Referral for ultrasounds and specialty care
  • Early risk identification and counselling

Referral System for Diagnostics

  • When ultrasounds or advanced diagnostics are needed, clinics issue free referral slips that guarantee no‑cost scans at empanelled centres.

Tracking High‑Risk Mothers

  • Pregnant women identified as high risk are monitored more closely and linked with hospitals or specialists when appropriate.

🧠 Why This Approach Is Significant

🚗 Closer to Home

By delivering pregnancy care in neighbourhood clinics rather than distant hospitals, the system:

  • Reduces travel time and out‑of‑pocket expenses
  • Encourages regular check‑ups for better maternal and fetal outcomes
  • Eases pressure on larger medical facilities

📈 Encouraging Early and Regular Care

Regular ante‑natal visits are vital for monitoring mother and baby health — helping detect problems like anaemia, gestational diabetes, or pre‑eclampsia early, and enabling timely treatment or referral. AACs make this easier and more affordable.

👩‍👩‍👧 Supporting More Women

With nearly 20,000 women using these services monthly, the clinics are demonstrating how primary health infrastructure can be leveraged to strengthen maternal health outcomes at scale.

🏁 In Summary

Punjab’s expansion of pregnancy care services through Aam Aadmi Clinics — including routine ante‑natal checks, free diagnostic referrals, and on‑site counselling — is helping bring maternal healthcare closer to home, improve access for women in both urban and rural communities, and reduce financial and logistical barriers to quality care.

 

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, organization, employer, or company. All information provided is for general informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information contained herein. Readers are advised to verify facts and seek professional advice where necessary. Any reliance placed on such information is strictly at the reader’s own risk.

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Balasahana Suresh

13/01/2026 03:02 PM