Services at 70 of Ludhiana district's 131 Aam Aadmi Clinics ground to a halt this week after doctors, pharmacists and clinic assistants launched an indefinite strike coordinated by the Sanjha Front of Aam Aadmi Clinic workers. Staff gathered outside the Civil Surgeon's office for a four-hour demonstration and submitted a memorandum demanding the state government finally act on commitments it made at a meeting a month earlier.
Union leaders say the government had promised job security, an end to the contentious empanelment system, and a shift of workers onto direct DHS contracts with better incentives and leave benefits — but no official notification has followed. Front district president Manmohan Sharma said the strike will continue "until promised documentation is released," and appealed to staff at clinics still functioning to join the action, raising the prospect of wider disruption in the days ahead.
For patients in and around Jagraon, where several Aam Aadmi Clinics serve as the first — and sometimes only — affordable point of care for daily ailments, the shutdown has meant longer journeys to district hospitals or costlier private visits. Local Sangat-run seva groups, which regularly step in with free medicine drives and health camps at gurdwaras, say they are watching the standoff closely and may need to extend support if the strike drags on.
Source: The Tribune (Ludhiana), reported Aug 26, 2026.
