Chandigarh, Jan 4 : The Punjab government has decentralised maternal healthcare, with Aam Aadmi Clinics emerging as the new lifeline for expectant mothers, government officials said on Sunday.

Within four months of launching a specialised, protocol-driven pregnancy care model, the state has recorded a massive surge in service utilisation, with nearly 20,000 pregnant women visiting these clinics every month, said the State Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh on Sunday.

He said the programme has already provided free ultrasound services to more than 10,000 women through a referral system.

By empanelling nearly 500 private diagnostic centres, the state government has ensured that women can access scans, which usually cost between Rs 800 and Rs 2,000, free of cost.

This intervention alone has saved families an estimated Rs 1 crore in out-of-pocket expenses in a short span of 120 days.

Official data shows less than 70 per cent of pregnant women in Punjab had received their first ante-natal check-up and fewer than 60 per cent had completed the recommended four check-ups, while the state's maternal mortality ratio stood at 90 per one lakh live births, higher than the national average.

These figures underlined the need for a comprehensive, accessible pregnancy care model across the state.

Punjab witnesses nearly 4.3 lakh pregnancies every year, making early detection, regular monitoring, and timely referral critical for safeguarding the health of mothers and infants.

Over the past three years, the state government has established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, which have emerged as the backbone of Punjab's primary healthcare system, recording more than 4.6 crore OPD visits and treating nearly 70,000 patients daily.

Leveraging this infrastructure, the state government launched an expanded, protocol-driven pregnancy care model through Aam Aadmi Clinics around four months ago.

Under this reform, all essential ante-natal check-ups are now available at Aam Aadmi Clinics themselves.

These include routine and critical tests such as HIV and syphilis screening, complete blood tests, sugar, thyroid, hepatitis, fetal heart rate, cholesterol and hemoglobin assessments.

Where ultrasounds are required, doctors issue referral slips enabling pregnant women to access free ultrasound services.

Importantly, around 5,000 women are being identified monthly as high-risk pregnancies, allowing for continuous tracking, focused support, and timely referral to higher medical facilities for specialist care.

/IANS