Latest news with #MohallaClinics
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Uncertain about future, say doctors, staff of Mohalla Clinics; hold sit-in at Delhi Secretariat
At least 580 doctors and staff, who worked at Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) flagship Mohalla Clinics, on Monday held a silent protest outside the Delhi Secretariat and sought clarity on whether they can continue to work at Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandir. The public healthcare centres were rebranded by the BJP after it came to power in February. In an interview with The Indian Express last week, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh, amid prevailing concerns among the staff of the Mohalla Clinics, had said, 'We have staff in the Arogya Mandirs, which are ready for the launch, but we are planning to absorb the existing staff of Mohalla clinics. I have discussed this with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. They will have to reappear in an exam, and those who fulfil the criteria will get the jobs.' On Monday, as the Mohalla clinics remained shut, the doctors and staff held a sit-in outside the Delhi Secretariat till evening, saying they were uncertain about their future. The written orders from officials have contradicted the CM's assurances at her Jan sunwai camps that the staff will be absorbed at Arogya Mandirs, they claimed. Officials concerned could not be reached for a response on the latest demonstration. 'Even the Health Minister said that those who fit the criteria under the National Health Mission will be hired…Some of the staff members have also been asked to sit at home while permanent employees from various hospitals have been transferred to their clinics,' said Jitendra Kumar, president of the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics (AAMC) union. Some doctors and staff members were called inside the Delhi Secretariat, where they met Health Minister's OSD Vaibhav Rikhari, and they submitted a memorandum, he added. The doctors said that they had cleared the examination of the Delhi government, after which they were selected for the Mohalla Clinics, where they have been working for the last eight years. They said that all the staff at Mohalla clinics should be transferred to Ayushman Arogya Mandir without any service disruption. 'Following the Assembly elections earlier this year, the staff have not been given salaries. Recently, an MOU (memorandum of understanding) of conditional extension of a maximum of one year or earlier was provided,' read the memorandum submitted by the doctors. They said minutes of the meeting, dated April 17, signed by the Health Minister and the Special Secretary, are cause for concern. 'Our problems are linked to the process of shifting from Delhi State Health Mission (DSHM) to National Rural Health Mission, fear of new eligibility criteria, and no clear-cut document for the smooth shifting of 100% of doctors and staff. The government, on one end, keeps its staff happy by paying them regular increments and promotions and dearness allowance… but on the other end, inhuman treatment is meted out to contractual professional staff of AAMC. After working for over eight years in AAMC, without any increment, we are on the verge of termination of our services at one stroke. Our OPD, linked to remuneration, is jeopardised by poor supply of drugs,' it further added.
The Hindu
2 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.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Delhiites will judge quality of BJP govt's Ayushman Mandirs: Health Minister Singh
Delhi Health and Family Welfare Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh on Sunday hit out at the AAP for comparing the upcoming Ayushman Mandirs with the doorstep health centres built by the previous government. "The people of Delhi can see for themselves what happened in the name of Mohalla Clinics and how Ayushman Mandirs are shaping up under the vision of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi," Minister Singh told IANS. The Minister hit out at AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj for questioning the BJP government's performance and calling Ayushman Mandirs a "repackaged version" of the AAP government's Mohalla Clinics. "Bharadwaj seems to be suffering from amnesia. He doesn't realise that Delhiites have rejected his party and him in the elections," said Health Minister Singh. "When the people of Delhi were asking them for water for ten years, they neither provided drinking water nor cleaned the Yamuna. They only misled people in the name of Mohalla Clinics," he said. The Minister said that rather than questioning the Delhi government on the women's financial assistance scheme, the AAP leaders should reply to the questions being asked by women of Punjab on the "unfulfilled promise" of Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance. Earlier, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the Delhi government will soon start distributing Rs 2,500 monthly financial assistance to women under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana. Sachdeva said that the BJP government has earmarked Rs 5,100 crore in the 2025-26 budget for the women's scheme, and a ministerial committee is currently formulating the policy for its implementation. The city BJP chief claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party was a disaster when in power and continues to be one in the Opposition. "While in government, they misled women in Delhi and Punjab in the name of the Mahila Samman Nidhi, and now they are attempting to mislead them once again," he said. The Delhi BJP president said, "The disaster team of Arvind Kejriwal is protesting about the Women's Honour Fund and questioning us, even though it was this very group that announced Rs 1,000 per month for women in the 2024-25 budget presented in February 2024. They enjoyed the benefits of power but failed to deliver a single rupee to women throughout the year." Similarly, the AAP government in Punjab in 2022 promised women an honorarium, yet not a single rupee has been disbursed to any woman even after three years in power.
The Hindu
5 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.
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.
