Jaipur, Dec 19 (IANS): Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the first Janta Clinic "to provide good medical facilities to poor near their homes", at Valmiki Nagar here on Wednesday.

"Patients at these clinics will get free medicines along with free facility of necessary diagnostics," the Chief Minister said.

Gehlot said most poor didn't avail medical facilities due to its high cost that they could not afford. "Our government's top priority is to make available quality health services to each person and make a healthy Rajasthan. Our effort is to make Rajasthan a leading state in the country in the field of health services, for which schemes, like Nirogi Rajasthan campaign and Janta Clinic, are being started."

Expressing gratitude to social worker Vinod Agrawal for support in starting the clinic, the Chief Minister said more Janta Clinics would be opened with the help and support from philanthropists and CSR activities, MLA-MP fund, voluntary organisations and general public.

He said even the World Health Organisation (WHO) had praised the state for taking free health services to villages and hamlets, and providing free diagnostics and medicines at the government hospitals.

After this, the state government was moving ahead with Mahatma Gandhi Ayushman Bharat Rajasthan Bima Yojana for the benefit of 1.10 crore families.

The opening of Janata Clinics would help reduce the patient load at Sawai Man Singh Hospital, said Health Minister Raghu Sharma. In the first phase, 12 Janta Clinics would be opened in Jaipur and three in Jodhpur.