Delhi government allocates Rs 209 crore for 1000 Mohalla clinics

NEW DELHI: On the eve of Diwali, Delhi government today decided to provide an allocation of Rs 209 crore for setting-up 1,000 Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics in various areas of the national capital.

The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today. Earlier, for this financial year, the government had made a budgetary provision for setting up 500 Mohalla Clinics.

A senior government official said the clinic will attend to people living within one kilometre distance and the government hopes that people will not have to walk for more than 10-14 minutes to have access to primary health care.

"The Public Works Department ( PWD) has been given the task of setting-up clinics for providing quality public health care to the people of Delhi at their doorstep," the official said.

According to government, in a paradigm shift, it is reorganising all the health facilities and a four tier structure is being created.

"This will consist of Mohalla Clinics, Poly clinics (multi-speciality clinic), Multi speciality hospitals (earlier called secondary level hospitals) and Super speciality hospitals (earlier called tertiary level hospitals)," official also said.

There will be a medical officer, pharmacist, auxillary nursing midwife, lab technician and an outsourced security guard in every Mohalla Clinic.

It is proposed to provide basic medical care, based on standard treatment protocols in these clinics. The usual timing will be from 8 AM to 2 PM and it is also proposed that some Mohalla Clinics may be run in evening shifts also.

Government said that every Mohalla Clinic will be linked to the Poly clinics for logistical support and for referral of patients needing specialist care.

Yesterday, Kejriwal inaugurated the capital's first 'Aam Aadmi polyclinic' in east Delhi's Gandhi Nagar.

Kejriwal had said that the government is going to revive around 150 dispensaries, presently housed in "dilapidated buildings", over the next few months where specialist care would be provided to reduce dependence on hospitals.