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The Print
a day ago
- Health
- The Print
Once on frontline, now ‘disposable', Delhi mohalla clinics staff in lurch amid BJP's arogya mandir push
(Upon transition of mohalla clinics to arogya mandirs, we will give you first preference) Protest was a last resort, to call attention to the insecurity looming over Delhi's mohalla clinics since March when Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said in no uncertain terms that these urban primary healthcare units, which he termed 'just tin boxes', would neither be rebranded nor continued. CM Rekha Gupta later assured healthcare workers on 16 May, in media glare, ' Jab arogya mandir banenge, hum pehle aap logon ko occupy karenge .' New Delhi: They came in the dozens. Some in white coats, others in plainclothes. The mohalla clinic staffers gathered outside Delhi Secretariat, staged a sit-in protest and in a memorandum to officials pleaded they not be sacked. Some had received phone calls asking them to resign, others said they hadn't been paid in two months. Her words did little to quell panic and speculation among doctors, pharmacists, multi-task workers, nurses and attendants employed at the nearly 553 mohalla clinics across Delhi. Jitendra Kumar, president of Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic Union (AAMCU) who was part of the delegation that met minister Singh's OSD Vaibhav Rikhari on 2 June, told ThePrint, 'There were no clear answers. We asked whether existing mohalla clinic staff would be retained in the new arogya mandirs, only vague assurances were given.' 'On salary delays, we were told new officials have been appointed and disbursement will happen soon,' read minutes of the meeting maintained by AAMCU. In days leading up to the protest Monday, ThePrint visited mohalla clinics in East, South, West, North and Central Delhi, where multiple staffers said they had been handed a 'one-sided' MoU with an added clause common across all specialties. Their jobs or positions, it stated, would be valid from 1 April 2025 till 31 March 2026, or until they are replaced by the new staff for the Urban/Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (UAAMs/AAMs), whichever is earlier. 'Is that job security or countdown to my termination,' remarked a pharmacist at a mohalla clinic in Delhi's South West district who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisal. Launched in 2015 during Arvind Kejriwal's second term, the mohalla clinic initiative emerged from 'sabhas' (neighbourhood meetings) organised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as a way to decentralise primary healthcare. Touted by the previous AAP government as a 'healthcare revolution,' these neighbourhood clinics were set up to cater to a population of 10,000 to 15,000 residents, offering accessible and affordable care close to home. On average, each clinic sees between 70 to 100 patients daily, providing a range of free services that include 212 diagnostic tests through empanelled laboratories and 109 essential medicines from the government's approved list. The initiative was also praised by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who in a letter to Kejriwal in 2017 said it 'may prove to be a good model to scale up UHC [universal health coverage] in India'. The idea caught on. A prime example was Karnataka's Namma Clinics, more than a hundred of which were inaugurated by the previous BJP administration led by Basavaraj Bommai in December 2022. The number of Namma Clinics has grown since the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government came to power in May 2023. Back in Delhi, soon after it assumed charge the newly elected BJP government announced that mohalla clinics would be 'replaced' by arogya mandirs—a model intended to integrate existing primary health facilities under the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme. In an interview with ThePrint in March, Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh termed mohalla clinics 'fundamentally flawed'. It is not viable for government to continue to run some 240 mohalla clinics which are on 'rented properties' or suffered 'significant financial losses'. The minister, however, did not clarify whether mohalla clinics would be phased out entirely, or if only units housed on government land would be considered for transition to arogya mandirs—a move that could affect nearly a third of operational centres. Coupled with the absence of a concrete timeline for the transition, this is what led mohalla clinic staffers to stage a sit-in protest at the Delhi Secretariat on 2 June. The government, they said, pledged in March to transform primary healthcare in the capital in its first hundred days. But a hundred days later, confusion outweighs clarity. With unclear MoUs, disrupted routines, and unanswered questions about job security, both patients and staff find themselves navigating a system in transition, with little say in the outcome. AAMCU's Kumar told ThePrint Wednesday, 'We were recruited into mohalla clinics through an exam. Now, the new government wants to introduce new criteria for hiring. Does that mean the exam we cleared no longer holds value just because the government changed? 'I don't understand this. Why aren't we being absorbed in the new arogya mandirs? CM said we would be given priority. But in the newly inaugurated AAMs new staff is being hired while old mohalla clinic staff wasn't even considered. What are we to make of this?' Also Read: CAG's grim diagnosis of Delhi Mohalla Clinics: '30-second consultations', drugs out of stock for months 'On frontline during COVID, now we're disposable?' The Kusumpur Pahari mohalla clinic is located near the upscale neighbourhood of Vasant Vihar, set amidst stark socio-economic disparity. This is the facility where AAMCU president Jitendra Kumar, who is also a pharmacist, is employed. 'Some of us signed the MoU, but only after attaching a letter of disagreement' to express their discontent with the first clause which puts our livelihood at stake, he told ThePrint. 'Others were hesitant because the language was vague—some would even call it one-sided. It doesn't clarify whether our job security will be protected.' Another staffer chimed in, 'In the name of politics, we might end up sitting at home for months. There's no proper communication, no clarity on our future. We've dedicated years to public healthcare, and been on the frontline during COVID.' Jitendra clarified that the union trusts CM Rekha Gupta, but 'bureaucrats, junior officers are doing 'red tapism'; they should change that line in the MoU.' At another mohalla clinic in North Delhi, a doctor who did not wish to be named remarked, 'The new MoU gives with one hand and takes with the other. It says we can stay, but only until someone is hired. Then what?' A pregnant pharmacist at a mohalla clinic in West Delhi said on condition of anonymity that her request for maternity leave was ignored and she was instead transferred to another mohalla clinic last week. 'My colleagues and I have been transferred to another AAMC and replaced by staff hailing from government dispensaries. When that mohalla clinic is converted into an UAAM, where will we go? Where will the staff already working there go?' 'No one from the [health] department told us we were being shifted. One day, I was told to report to a different clinic, without explanation, why were we being made to sign no-dues forms?' asked a multi-task worker. 'I wasn't even issued a notice—how is that legal?' He, like all mohalla clinic staffers, had cleared the exam at Indraprastha University. He was attached to a mohalla clinic in West Delhi in the third week of May when ThePrint visited. The 'no-dues' form had three options: de-empanelment, resignation, and transfer. The staffers were told to sign the form in the week of the inauguration of 33 arogya mandirs on 31 May. The MoU handed to them earlier also mentioned the transfer option. The Print also visited a mohalla clinic in Multani Dhanda, Paharganj, which has been converted. The board outside read: Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandir. Inside, little had changed. 'It's just the board,' a staff member said, pointing to the new signage. 'Everything else remains the same—for now. We're still waiting to see what happens next.' While the Delhi government has embarked on its ambitious mission to strengthen the primary healthcare setup with plans to set up at least 33 arogya mandirs across the national capital in the first phase, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other staffers attached with mohalla clinics said they felt blindsided. Even before they highlighted their concerns at the protest Monday, some had told ThePrint they hadn't been paid in over two months. 'We were the face of public health during COVID. Now, we're disposable?' said a pharmacist at a mohalla clinic in South Delhi who had been in the system since 2019. A doctor at a mohalla clinic in Delhi's South West district did not express as much concern about his own prospects, and seemed more troubled about the future of his medical staff—nurses, pharmacists and multi-task workers. If nothing works out, doctors can set up practices of their own but that's not the case with medical staff, he explained. Mohalla Clinics: Routine, referral & trust Sangam Vihar resident Jagvir, 70, said he visited the mohalla clinic in his neighbourhood once every 10 days to get his blood pressure checked, and restock his insulin. The way mohalla clinics are structured, empanelled doctors are paid Rs 40 per patient and pharmacists Rs 12, while multi-task workers are paid rupees 8 per patient. With arogya mandirs now in the mix, emphasis may now be laid on referrals to state-run hospitals, as well as private hospitals empaneled under the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, to ensure integration. Doctors at mohalla clinics ThePrint spoke to said the referral system—especially with a role for centrally-run hospitals—could help streamline patient care and ease the burden on overworked clinics. Arogya mandirs are also reported to offer immunisation and antenatal services that were only planned for mohalla clinics but never fully implemented. 'In theory, this expansion could help. Depending on where the UAAMs are located, they may attract higher footfall and reduce the doctor-patient ratio,' said a doctor at a mohalla clinic in Central Delhi. 'But in practice, there are many complications.' As for patients, for many the real loss is the bond they built with mohalla clinic staffers over time. 'We know our people—they come to us not just for medicine, but for trust. We become part of their family care,' said a doctor who had been with a mohalla clinic in South West Delhi for six years. On the flip side, many regular patients said they were looking forward to the arogya mandirs. 'As long as I get good health care and free medicine, it doesn't matter whose face or name is on the clinic,' said Mohan, a resident of Lajpat Nagar. Paharganj resident Usha Rani, who lives in front of the newly established arogya mandir, said she expected the BJP government in Delhi to give 'something extra, other than the change of board, like a gym'. Kartikay Chaturvedi and Aleeza Ahmed are interns who graduated from ThePrint School of Journalism; Suryansh Tripathi is an intern with ThePrint (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: India's social policy stuck in freebie-welfare debate. Let Ujjwala, Mohalla Clinics coexist
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Scores of Mohalla Clinic staffers stage protest outside Secretariat
Mohalla Clinic staffers on Monday staged a protest outside the Delhi Secretariat amid growing concerns over job security. The protesting doctors, nurses, and multi-tasking workers demanded that they be absorbed into the upcoming Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs). This decision came after the Comptroller and Auditor General report, tabled in the Assembly by the BJP, revealed shortcomings in the functioning of the clinics. According to officials, there are 553 Mohalla Clinics in the Capital, of which 70 are proposed to be upgraded into AAMs. The transformation would also lead to the shutting of over 250 clinics, said Health Minister Pankaj Singh. The protest, which began at 9 a.m. and continued till 12 noon, witnessed the staff seeking clarity on their future. Five doctors then entered the Secretariat to meet Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the Health Minister. However, when they were not available, the doctors submitted the memorandum to the health department officials. 'Our two months' salaries have been stopped so that we can be pressured. We are being made to sign no-dues forms,' read the memorandum roughly translated from Hindi. The doctors, in a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, highlighted that they were recruited through a government-led, extensive selection process. All the staff should be transferred to AAMs without any 'disruption in services', the memorandum stated, reiterating the CM's earlier assurance, made on May 16, that 'no one will be laid off'. Echoing CM's statement, Mr. Singh, last week, said that 'those who are eligible and work hard, will not be rendered jobless'. However, in a meeting on April 17, the Health Department announced that it would hire new staff, sparking concerns about job security among the Mohalla Clinic staff. While the department mentioned that existing doctors and paramedics may continue for up to a year or until new appointments are made, Monday's protestors said, 'no assurance was given'. Taking on the government's new eligibility criteria based on age limit, a 68-year-old practising doctor said, 'Under the earlier criteria, experienced doctors were given a chance to continue working after retirement. Under the new criteria that the government plans, there will be an age limit, rendering many of us jobless.' The doctor, who was among the five others who spoke to officials on Monday said, 'Officials acknowledged the memorandum but did not give us any assurance. Most clinics have been shut today, and we did not want to deprive patients, but we had no option.' A nurse, who has worked in a clinic for six years said, 'Firstly, there are not enough jobs. If we have been given a contract, based on our qualifications, we should be retained.' 'Moreover, the job is important to me because it is a day job and I have a one-year-old infant at home. If I have to move to a hospital, it will be very difficult for me to do night duty,' she said, adding that her monthly salary is approximately ₹25,000 per month.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
‘Ayushman Arogya Mandirs will provide doorstep access to diagnostic tests'
As the BJP government in Delhi completes its first 100 days, Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh highlights a raft of health sector developments, most notably the upcoming launch of 33 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). In an interview with The Hindu, he says AAMs will provide doorstep access to health care. Excerpts: How will Ayushman Arogya Mandirs differ from Mohalla Clinics? About 80% of patients visit clinics and hospitals for minor issues, and around 20% have critical issues. With 14 routine screening tests, AAMs will provide access to diagnostic tests, including blood sugar, HIV, dengue, malaria, and syphilis along with pre- and post-natal care. Mothers will receive prenatal and postnatal care, and yoga sessions will be held twice a week. I want the public to go and see for themselves what has changed. Mohalla Clinics had four employees each. Will they be retained? Each AAM will have 6-7 staff, including medical and paramedical professionals, a pharmacist, a data entry operator, and a yoga instructor. The Chief Minister has already assured that nobody will be removed. All those who are eligible and work hard will not be rendered jobless. Apart from Ayushman Bharat and AAMs, what are the other key achievements? The number of dialysis machines has doubled to 300. Previously, people waited days for a dialysis appointment. That is no longer the case. Additionally, each hospital now has its own dedicated Medical Superintendent, replacing the earlier system where one oversaw five. We are addressing hospital shortages. How much of the staff shortage problem has been addressed? When I took charge, there was a 21% staff shortage. The dossier for doctors and nurses is out. That is now down to 7–8%, and will be addressed completely within 1–2 months. What are your plans for the city's health care in the next few months? Stress is very common among residents of Delhi. We are planning to set up integrated stress management centres combining Ayurvedic Panchakarma with allopathy within hospitals. We will also revamp the infrastructure so patients won't need to wait in queues. Appointments will be streamlined, and medicine shortages will be eliminated at the Arogya Mandirs.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Vans At Doorsteps To Enrol Sr Citizens
New Delhi: Delhi govt will deploy mobile vans across all Vidhan Sabha constituencies to enrol beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana Yojna scheme and start 22 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) as part of the govt's 100-day plan. The govt will complete its 100 days on May 31, when chief minister Rekha Gupta is expected to list the new administration's key initiatives. A senior official said that the govt will start with a van in each Vidhan Sabha constituency, which would assist senior citizens and residents from rural or less tech-savvy backgrounds with the registrations. The official mentioned that the van would travel locally, ensuring door-to-door support for eligible individuals. Officials stated that over 30,000 elderly, aged 70 years and above, in Delhi registered within a week under the Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana Yojna, which provides a health cover of Rs 10 lakh. There will be three centres each in central Delhi and New Delhi, four in south-east Delhi, four in west Delhi, six in south-west Delhi, and two each in north Delhi, north-east Delhi, Shahdara, and south Delhi. East Delhi and north-west Delhi will have one each. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Every AAM clinic will operate with approximately 10 staff members. The team composition includes medical officers, a pharmacist, auxiliary nurse midwives, a laboratory technician, a DOTS laboratory technician (specialising in tuberculosis patient care), a data entry operator, and a cleaner. The BJP govt will celebrate its 100 days in office by presenting a report card of its works at a special event to be organised in the capital next week. Though the exact date, time, and venue for the event are yet to be finalised, sources said the celebrations could be held at Bharat Mandapam. Overall, the govt is set to establish 1,139 AAMs, with approximately 15 such centres to be opened in each assembly constituency. These centres will provide citizens with access to free basic healthcare services. Gupta earlier said that construction work is progressing rapidly at 70 sites, where infrastructure development, installation of medical equipment, and recruitment of staff are being prioritised. Additionally, 968 new sites have been identified where AAMs will be established in the upcoming phases. The chief minister has instructed all district magistrates and chief district medical officers (CDMOs) to ensure regular monitoring of these projects and to complete all the new hospital projects, upgrades, and operational activities within the stipulated timeline. A senior official said that construction work is underway in new hospital projects and upgrades, and all concerned agencies have been instructed to complete the work as soon as possible. Sources in the govt said that besides health, other initiatives from transport and education could also be announced on the day.
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Big Bang launch of Arogya Mandirs
In a dramatic shift within Delhi's public healthcare system, the city's Mohalla Clinics, a flagship initiative launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during its tenure, are facing a closure. This move comes as the BJP-led administration rolls out a new healthcare initiative—Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs). While the government claims these new centres will offer upgraded infrastructure and more comprehensive services, the abrupt replacement of Mohalla Clinics has sparked concerns regarding the true intent behind the decision, the potential effectiveness of AAMs, and whether healthcare is being politicised. Rise and Stall of Mohalla Clinics When the AAP government took charge of Delhi in 2015, it introduced the Mohalla Clinic initiative as a bold step toward providing affordable, accessible healthcare to urban communities. The idea was to establish neighbourhood clinics that offered free consultations, medicines, diagnostics, and basic medical services. With resident doctors, lab assistants, and IT technicians managing patient information, the clinics quickly became a symbol of success in urban primary healthcare. These clinics quickly earned praise both nationally and internationally for their accessibility, affordability, and effectiveness. With free consultations, diagnostics, and medicines, they were seen as a model for urban primary healthcare. 'India's great export to the World'; this is what the Mohalla Clinics' website had to say about the scheme. The initiative was also praised by Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who called the project 'a model for all Indian states embarking on the journey to universal health care.' What visibly changed after the introduction of Mohalla Clinics was the political discourse around public health. The initiative brought health services to the fore of political agendas, with number of states expressing interest in adopting the concept (or a variant), like 'Namma' clinics by the previous BJP regime in Karnataka. By 2022, over 553 Mohalla Clinics had been set up, many operating in rented premises. These clinics served lakhs of patients each month, particularly benefiting daily wage workers, women and the elderly.
