SANGRUR, April 16 -- Outpatient and inpatient department services were inaugurated at the community health centre (CHC) in Lehragaga on Wednesday after the Punjab government handed over the facility to the Janhit Trust under a charitable partnership model. Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh, accompanied by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Lehra MLA Barinder Kumar Goyal, inaugurated the renovated centre. The facility will now be managed by a unit of Janhit Trust - the Acharya Vidyanand Jain Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.This is the first health facility in Punjab to operate under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The health minister described the arrangement as a "charitable partnership" rather than privatisation, stating that it was necessitated by the government's inability to deploy specialist doctors in rural areas. He said the Trust will operate 24/7 services and provide 10 additional specialists, while the government will retain two medical officers and ensure treatment remains available at state-notified rates. Dr Balbir acknowledged that many specialists prefer urban postings in cities such as Patiala and Mohali, leading to gaps in rural healthcare. He added that the new arrangement aims to provide timely medical care to nearly four-lakh residents who previously had to travel long distances, often to Sangrur or Patiala, during emergencies. The minister said the Lehragaga CHC will eventually function as an urban health centre for a proposed medical college being set up by the Trust, in line with requirements of the National Medical Commission. Similarly, CHC Monak will serve as a rural health centre for the institution, he said. Denying any preferential treatment to the Trust, Dr Balbir said the initiative is aimed solely at improving healthcare access and infrastructure in underserved areas. MLA Goyal said the project would help prevent loss of life caused by delays in treatment and would also generate employment through upcoming nursing and paramedical institutions, providing an economic boost to the region The proposed medical college will have 100 MBBS seats and at least 440 beds, with 50% seats reserved under the government quota. Admissions and fee structures will be regulated by state norms. Nursing and postgraduate (MD/MS) courses are also expected to commence next year. According to the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), official data reveal that out of the 2,098 sanctioned posts of medical specialists in Punjab, only 1,000 are currently filled, leaving nearly 47% of the positions vacant....