After Mohalla clinics, Delhi govt to work on improving polyclinics

NEW DELHI: After Mohalla clinics, the Delhi government aims to improve the infrastructure of polyclinics in the city. Accordingly, the Health and Family Welfare department of the Delhi government will conduct a survey by visiting existing polyclinics and making a status report.

On Wednesday morning, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain made a surprise inspection of a government polyclinic in Ranibagh, Pitampura, and found that a lot of development would be needed at the place.

According to sources, as soon as the target of Mohalla clinics is achieved, the Delhi government will focus on polyclinics.

Sources added that Jain has learned that in order to improve the health infrastructure in the national Capital, the government also needs to work on these clinics.

Most poor residents in the city go to polyclinics for less expensive treatments.

Earlier, the government had observed that the polyclinics come in the second tier of the health system in Delhi, with mohalla clinics being the first.

Polyclinics operate as specialist out-patient departments, where medicine, gynaecology and paediatrics specialists are available every day, while orthopaedics, eye and ENT specialists are available on selected days of the week. Close to two years since the Aam Aadmi Party-led government came to power, 24 polyclinics have come up.

Sources said the government aims to introduce more diagnostics tests in these clinics.

Earlier, the Health department has received several complaints regarding the lack of staff, faculty and equipment at polyclinics.

The Health department has noted that all these facilities will be reviewed and rebuilt, if needed.

Senior health officials are likely to prepare a report card of all existing polyclinics and submit it to Jain.

The Delhi government earlier had tied up with 21 laboratories across the city to provide 13 expensive tests such as PET, CT, MRI, ECG free of cost at the polyclinics.

Sources said that new initiatives for these clinics are needed because these are not meeting the expectations of the government.