Patiala, Oct. 24 -- The Punjab government is mulling over a proposal to set up Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) in all 10 central jails across the state. The state health department is learnt to have already started identifying space inside jails to erect the facilities. Confirming the development, a senior health official said, "Yes, there is a proposal to set up AACs in central jails across Punjab. The proposal is under consideration, and we are examining the modalities for implementation." The official added that though the initial plan is to establish AACs in central jails only, the project could later be extended to other jails as well. The Punjab health department already has 24x7 medical officers deployed in all jails across the state. The latest proposal comes at a time when the government floated tenders to establish 236 new Aam Aadmi Clinics, which will take the total number of functional clinics in Punjab to around 1,117. "AACs offer 107 types of free medicines and 47 types of free diagnostic tests, which will significantly improve medical treatment for jail inmates," said another senior health department official. Punjab's jails are overcrowded, with inmates suffering from various diseases, including hepatitis C and HIV. In August, the principal secretary (jails) had to write to the principal secretary (health) highlighting the acute strain on prison healthcare services due to overcrowding. The letter had pointed out that many inmates suffer from severe health issues and comorbidities such as HIV, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis, besides noting gaps such as inadequate medical infrastructure, vacant healthcare posts, and limited preventive care facilities. Health officials expressed concern over possible legal implications in deploying contract-based medical officers in jails under the AAC model. "Any inmate could make multiple visits to AACs, which may appear pretentious. Later, they might use medical records to seek bail on the grounds of inadequate treatment. The government should carefully consider the legal ramifications of this project," said a medical officer, who had earlier served in the Patiala Central Jail. Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh could not be contacted despite repeated attempts....