DW BUREAU / Chandigarh In a bid to provide the best health care services free of cost to the people across the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced to launch his government's flagship program of Mohalla Clinics with dedicating 75 such clinics in first phase on the historic occasion of 75th Independence anniversary on this August 15. Chairing a high level meeting of senior officers here at his official residence this afternoon, Bhagwant Mann said that his government would be fulfilling one of the major poll promises with setting up of these clinics both in urban and rural areas in a phased manner on Delhi pattern. Taking part in the deliberations, the Chief Minister also gave nod to convert the non-functional Sewa Kendras across the State into Mohalla Clinics thereby refurbishing such complexes on the uniform pattern with basic interior components including doctor's room, Reception-cum-Waiting Area, Pharmacy, besides separate toilets for staff and visiting patients. He also directed the Principal Secretary, Public Works to work out the modalities for sprucing-up the interiors of Sewa Kendras, so that these could be suitably converted into Mohalla Clinics. The Chief Minister also suggested forming a cluster of five to six adjoining villages by establishing a Mohalla Clinic at a central location, easily accessible to all. This would help in bringing majority of people residing in rural areas within the ambit of Mohalla Clinics. During the meeting, brief presentation was made by the Senior Architect to apprise the Chief Minister about the various options for the proposed design and layout of these Mohalla Clinics. Meanwhile, Secretary Health and Family Welfare informed the Chief Minister about the already existing network of nearly 3000 Sub-Centres in the rural areas being efficiently manned by the trained Para-medics staff headed by Community Health Officer. Therefore, he mooted a proposal to convert these Sub-Centres also into Mohalla Clinics thus widening its scope and outreach so that maximum number of people residing in villages could be benefitted from the state govt's unique health care initiative. Summing up the deliberations, the Chief Minister asked the Secretary Health to immediately start the process to hire services of doctors/paramedics on contract basis, who were willing to offer their services for this noble cause in Mohalla Clinics. Bhagwant Mann also directed the Secretary Health to work out an action plan for hiring an agency for clinical tests. To which, secretary health informed that process for recruitment of requisite staff was already underway and the tendering process for hiring the services of agency for clinical tests would be done by May 31. Prominent among others who attended the meeting included Health and Family Welfare Minister Vijay Singla, Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari, Additional Chief Secretary to CM A. Venu Prasad, ACS-cum-FCR Anurag Aggarwal, Secretary Health Ajoy S harma and Director Punjab Health Systems Corporation Neelima, MD NRHM TPS Phoolka. (editor@dailyworld.in)