Chandigarh, Feb 29 (IANS): Holding the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress regimes responsible for the "appalling state" of government institutions, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said his government is committed to offering superior facilities in these institutions, ensuring no citizen is denied access to their services.

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Mohali, he said previous governments and politicians completely neglected government institutions and promoted their privatisation.

The Chief Minister said cancer treatment in private hospitals is prohibitively expensive, rendering many patients unable to afford treatment due to their economic condition. Highlighting the steps being taken for the betterment of government institutions in the state, he pointed out the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences is the second in the country and the first in Punjab to have such a plethora of modern machines, surpassing even private hospitals.

He said the government is establishing 45 maternity and child care centers, with 37 already dedicated to the people. Additionally, 664 Aam Aadmi Clinics have been established where treatment is provided free of cost.