40 mohalla clinics inaugurated just before poll date announced
Hours before the state election commission announced the date for civic polls, the Aam Aadmi Party government inaugurated 40 more mohalla (neighbourhood) clinics on Tuesday.
A total of 110 mohalla clinics are functional across Delhi. These clinics are Delhi government’s initiative to improve primary healthcare in the city.
The clinics were started by the AAP government in their first year in office to take diagnostics and treatment of simple ailments to people’s doorstep and reduce the footfall in tertiary care hospitals.
“It is expected that this number will be increased above 150 by the end of the current financial year. Our aim is to set up 1,000 mohalla clinics in the next financial year for which work is going on in full swing,” said deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia while presenting this year’s Delhi budget.
The government had earlier promised to increase the number to 1,000 by the end of 2016. The deadline was then increased to March 2017 citing the tussle with then lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung.
The 110 clinics that are functional have treated 1.5 million people between April and December last year, shows latest data. The clinics offer 110 essential drugs and 212 diagnostic tests to people free of cost.
It is expected that this number will be increased above 150 by the end of the current financial year. Our aim is to set up 1,000 mohalla clinics in the next financial year for which work is going on in full swing.
Apart from that, 23 polyclinics, which have doctors from various specialities, are also functional. “The number will be enhanced to 150 by the end of the next financial year,” said Sisodia.
In its previous budget speech too, the government had said that 100 mohalla clinics and 20 polyclinics were functional.
The government is looking at strengthening its three-tier system – mohalla clinics, polyclinics and then the multi-speciality and super-speciality hospitals.