Health sector, insurance for all get Rs 6729 crore

NEW DELHI: Mobile van clinics to cover eye and ear problems for Delhi residents, first response vehicles to reduce response time in accidents cases, and city health insurance scheme were some of the highlights of the Rs 6,729 budget allocated for the health sector.

Presenting the budget, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, said that a health insurance scheme, which was announced earlier this year, will be launched soon to cover the treatment of citizens in empanelled private and government hospitals and an outlay of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the
purpose.

Further, mobile van clinics providing health care services specifically for eye and ear care will be established and an amount of Rs 15 crore was proposed.

A pilot project for “first responder vehicle” with 16 mobikes to be manned by trained ambulance manpower, in east Delhi will be started to reduce the response time and will be helpful to reach in narrow streets of congested areas “within shortest possible time”, Mr Sisodia said.

Talking about the government’s pet project of mohalla clinics, the minister said land sites at 530 places were identified to set them up and Rs 403 crore was allocated for mohalla clinics and polyclinics in 2018-19.

The government had targetted to set up 1,000 mohalla clinics even in the last budget, but the project couldn’t not be completed. The deputy chief ministe said that the bed strength in the Delhi government hospitals will be increased from 10,000 to 20,000.