Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], Aug 13 (ANI): The Punjab Government on Thursday announced that the state achieved first rank in operationalisation of Health and Welfare Centres (HWCs) as per the latest rankings released by the Centre.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that despite restrictions on the movement of people due to COVID-19-induced lockdown, HWCs across Punjab recorded 28.1 lakh footfalls in the last five months.

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"Mr Sidhu said that Punjab would soon become the leading State in the Health sector as the state government has taken the pro-people initiative to further strengthen the health infrastructure. He said that currently, 2042 HWCs are operational across the state," read a press release.

A total of 1,600 community health officers have been appointed at HWCs and 823 more candidates will be appointed as CHOs by the end of this year after the completion of the bridge course.

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"The Minister said that apart from this, in the last five months, 6.8 lakh individuals were screened at the HWCs for hypertension, 4 lakh for diabetes and 6 lakh for oral, breast or cervical cancer. Medicines were dispensed at the HWCs to about 2.4 lakh patients of hypertension and 1.4 lakh diabetes patients, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19," the statement added. (ANI)

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