Chandigarh, Jan. 5 -- Within just 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 the Aam Aadmi clinics every month, said Punjab health Minister Balbir Singh said on Sunday.

In an official statement, Singh said the programme has already provided free ultrasound services to over 10,000 women through a unique referral system.

By empanelling nearly 500 private diagnostic centres, the government has ensured that women can access scans, which usually cost between Rs.800 and Rs.2,000, entirely free of charge. This intervention alone has saved Punjab's families an estimated Rs.1 crore in out-of-pocket expenses...