New Delhi Apr 19 PTI More than 35 lakh people participated in the 464 Ayushman Bharat block-level health melas organised on April 18 while over 64000 ABHA health IDs were created and 17000 PMJAY golden cards issued in addition to the thousands of screenings conducted for hypertension and diabetesThe Union health ministry in collaboration with the states and Union territories is celebrating the fourth anniversary of the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres AB-HWCs under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav from April 16 to April 22From April 18 to April 22 block-level health melas at more than one lakh AB-HWCs in at least one block in each district of the states are being organised the Union health ministry said in a statementEach health mela would be a daylong event and every block in the states and Union territories will be coveredOn day one of the health melas more than 35 lakh people participated and around 464 blocks organised the health melas across the countryFurther more than 64000 Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts ABHAs and health IDs were created and 17000Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana PM-JAY golden cards issued in addition to thousands of screenings done for hypertension diabetes etc the statement saidA record three lakh teleconsultations through the e-Sanjeevani platform were done at the AB-HWCs on April 16 surpassing the earlier record of 18 lakh teleconsultations a day it addedThe Union health minister the health ministers of the states and Union territories MPs MLAs senior officials of the Union health ministry the principal health secretaries or health secretaries of the states and Union territories senior officials of the state health departments and local dignitaries are visiting the AB-HWCs and creating awareness among the public regarding their importance in providing affordable and accessible healthcareTranslating the intent of the National Health Policy 2017 to achieve universal health coverage into budgetary commitments the Centre announced the establishment of 15 lakh AB-HWCs in February 2018The AB-HWCs are a major shift from selective to comprehensive primary healthcare inclusive of promotive preventive curative rehabilitative and palliative care from disease-centred to wellness-centred following the whole-of-society approach the statement said PTI PLB RC

Bathinda (Punjab) [India], October 25 (ANI): Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal slammed the Congress party over the infighting going on within the party's Punjab unit and said that the Congress party in the state has become a comedy show after the arrival of Navjot Singh Sidhu.