The Aam Aadmi Party government plans to set up mohalla clinics in the national capital’s commercial hubs like Nehru Place to make healthcare more accessible to those working in these areas.
The Aam Aadmi Party government plans to set up mohalla clinics in the national capital’s commercial hubs like Nehru Place to make healthcare more accessible to those working in these areas.
Earlier, the Kejriwal government had announced setting up of 1,000 mohalla clinics by the year-end. According to the government, these clinics are meant to take the load off public hospitals. One hundred and five such health facilities have come up in different areas of Delhi so far.
A senior official said the AAP government wants to provide health services to people working in the commercial hubs as they have very little time to spare for their health check-ups. The official added that the city health department is looking for space in commercial hubs like Nehru Place, Subhash Place and Bhikaji Cama Place to launch the mohalla clinics.
The Kejriwal government has also identified 300 schools where such clinics will be set up. Besides treating sick students in the school premises, these clinics will also treat general public.
The Delhi government’s healthcare roadmap works on the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare model. For primary healthcare like basic consultation and medicines, there are mohalla clinics. For specialist care and a wider spectrum of diagnostics, there are polyclinics. The patients requiring surgery or hospitalisation are referred to the final tier — government-run hospitals.
The AAP government has already made a provision of Rs 5,259 crore for the health sector in its 2016-17 budget, a hike of about 10 per cent over the allocation made last fiscal.
Besides 1,000 mohalla clinics, the AAP government has promised to add 10,000 new beds at its hospitals and open 150 polyclinics across the city by the year-end.
According to government officials, the mohalla clinics and polyclinics draw an average of 200-350 patients a day.
