Patiala, April 13 -- With only 16% of Punjab's villages currently covered by the 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, the state government is planning to expand rural healthcare access by rolling out around 1,100 "Aam Aadmi Pind Clinics".

State health minister Dr Balbir Singh said they were planning to open up to 1,100 pind clinics in the first phase and then extend them to 2,500 to cover all 12,500 villages of Punjab. The existing 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics cater to around 2,000 villages, accounting for just 16% of the total in the state.

"The pind clinics are aimed at providing affordable, accessible and quality primary healthcare services to underserved villages. These clinics will serve as the first interface of contact for individuals seeking medical...