Ambala Deputy Commissioner directs time-bound utilisation of 15th Finance Commission health grants

Ambala Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta has directed the Health Department to further strengthen the Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (UAAMs) as accessible and effective primary healthcare delivery points for the urban population of Ambala. Chairing a review of the implementation of UAAMs under the 15th Finance Commission Health Grants, the Deputy Commissioner emphasised that the focus should be on utilising the available resources for functional healthcare infrastructure, quality primary health services and improved access for vulnerable and underserved urban communities. Under the ongoing initiative, 18 UAAMs were approved in Ambala, of which 15 have already been operationalised. These facilities are intended to function as satellite primary healthcare facilities linked with Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs), extending comprehensive primary healthcare closer to urban communities. The Deputy Commissioner said the UAAMs should not merely be viewed as infrastructure projects, but as an important component of the urban primary healthcare delivery system. The facilities are envisaged to provide a comprehensive range of primary healthcare services, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and referral services, with particular emphasis on vulnerable and underserved sections of the urban population. Each UAAM is designed to cater to an urban population of 15,000–20,000 people and support delivery of the prescribed comprehensive primary healthcare service packages. The DC directed the departments concerned to ensure that the remaining approved facilities were made functional in a time-bound manner, while the already functional UAAMs continued to provide regular and quality services to citizens. He said effective convergence between the Health Department and the Urban Local Bodies was essential for ensuring timely infrastructure readiness, availability of essential facilities and smooth delivery of services. The District Level Committee (DLC), headed by the Deputy Commissioner, will provide an institutional mechanism for reviewing physical and financial progress, identifying bottlenecks and ensuring timely corrective action. Sachin Gupta said the prime objective of the UAAM initiative was to bring comprehensive primary healthcare closer to people's homes, particularly in urban communities that might otherwise face barriers in accessing timely healthcare. He said operationalisation of UAAMs should be accompanied by adequate infrastructure, essential medicines and equipment, tele-consultation facilities, trained human resources, wellness activities and appropriate linkages with UPHCs so that citizens receive continuity of care. 'The objective is not merely to establish facilities, but to make every operational UAAM a functional and dependable point of primary healthcare for the urban population. Funds, infrastructure and institutional mechanisms must ultimately translate into better access and better services for citizens,' the Deputy Commissioner said.