Latest news with #UrbanAyushmanArogyaMandirs
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Evening OPDs at dispensaries on hold amid Chandigarh admn's silence on budget
The UT health department's plan to start evening outpatient departments (OPDs) at all its civil dispensaries and health and wellness centres across the city remains in limbo in the absence of budget approval by the UT administration. In February, director of health services Dr Suman Singh had confirmed that a ₹13-crore proposal to run the evening OPDs had been sent to the UT administration for budget sanction. However, more than three months have passed and the administration is yet to take a call on the matter. Health secretary Ajay Chagti said, 'The proposal has been submitted to the finance department. We will start the OPDs when it is approved.' Finance secretary Diprava Lakra said he was not aware of any such proposal and refused to comment further. The proposed evening OPDs will operate for six hours, complementing the existing morning shift (8 am to 2 pm) at health and wellness centres. The extended hours will cover three civil dispensaries, 15 Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and 29 health and wellness centres with the aim of providing relief to city residents, daily wagers and those belonging to the working class as they find it difficult to visit doctors during their daytime working hours, especially those living in Dadumajra, Mauli Jagran, Dhanas, Maloya, Manimajra and Industrial Area Phase 1. The services to be offered include general outpatient care for illnesses and minor ailments; primary healthcare, including prenatal and childbirth care, and management of communicable diseases. This expansion follows a previous, limited evening OPD trial at Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, in 2015, which addressed faculty shortages by hiring retired specialists, including orthopaedics, gynaecologists and surgeons, etc. However, this time, the focus is on hiring young MBBS doctors on a consolidated salary basis to staff the evening shifts. The proposal of starting evening OPDs has been making rounds since 2023. Initially, it had targeted five key locations with a high concentration of daily wage earners, aiming to provide accessible healthcare without requiring them to sacrifice their daily income. An estimated budget was prepared for the five locations but was later extended to all the dispensaries.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Delhi CM promises jobs for Mohalla Clinic staff in Arogya Mandirs
Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday assured protesting Mohalla Clinic staff that they will be absorbed into the upcoming Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, even as the government begins phasing out clinics in areas where the new centres are being established. Her assurance came after scores of doctors, paramedics, and other clinic workers gathered outside her office on Friday, demanding clarity on their future and protesting delays in salary disbursal. The protest, held during the CM's Janata Darbar, was triggered by the government's recent decision to withdraw Mohalla Clinics that overlap with the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. 'We will engage you on a priority basis in the new system that the government is creating,' Gupta told the staff, adding that preference will be given to existing personnel once the transition begins. On May 15, HT reported that the Delhi government intends to wind down existing Mohalla Clinics in areas where Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are coming up, since both facilities provide primary healthcare. According to minutes from a meeting on the operationalisation of Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Mohalla Clinic doctors and staff may be allowed to continue only for a year—or until new personnel are recruited to run the Arogya Mandirs. Following this, on Friday, dozens of clinic workers gathered around noon for the CM's Janata Darbar. 'We have worked at the Mohalla Clinics for the past six years. Now why are we being asked to leave our jobs? What is our fault?' said one paramedic at the gathering, summing up the anxiety shared by hundreds of frontline workers. Amid slogans and appeals, CM Gupta addressed the group: 'We will engage you on a priority basis in the new system. The government will absorb you in the Arogya Mandirs being set up across Delhi. There is no need to worry.' She added that once the delegation submitted the full list of affected staff, they would be prioritised in the government's upcoming recruitment drives. Mohalla Clinics were launched in 2015 under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government with the aim of decentralising access to basic healthcare. As of August 2023, 533 clinics were operational. However, at least seven have already been converted into Arogya Mandirs under the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, signalling a broader transition across the Capital's health infrastructure. HT had earlier reported that 70 locations across the city have been finalised for the first phase of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, with a deadline of May 31 set for completion. These include multiple sites in each district—six in North Delhi, eight each in West and Central Delhi, and others spread across East, South, Southeast, Northeast, Shahdara, and New Delhi districts. Staff complain of salary delays While uncertainty over job security looms, another immediate concern for Mohalla Clinic workers is the non-payment of salaries. Several doctors and support staff told HT that they have not received payments for March and April. 'For two months, we've received nothing. There's been no explanation. Many of us depend entirely on this job—some are taking loans just to manage daily expenses,' said a doctor at the protest. Jitender, president of the Mohalla Clinic Staff Union, said, 'If we don't get paid by May 20, it'll be two full months without salary. The CM did not give us a specific answer on this, but we're hopeful the issue will be resolved soon.' Each Mohalla Clinic typically has a team comprising a doctor, pharmacist, and multitasking staff. Doctors earn ₹40 per registered patient, with a minimum daily count of 75. Pharmacists and assistants receive ₹12 and ₹10 per patient, respectively. Despite repeated queries, the Delhi government has not issued any official statement on the reason for the salary delay.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Mohalla Clinics near Arogya Mandirs to be shut in Delhi
The Delhi government will withdraw the existing Mohalla Clinics in areas where Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are coming up as both largely serve the same purpose of providing primary health care, according to the minutes of a meeting held to discuss operationalisation of Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. The Delhi government plans to withdraw Mohalla Clinics from areas where Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) are being set up, as both serve the same purpose—providing primary health care—according to minutes of a meeting accessed by HT. AAMs are being established under the Centre's Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), which was announced after the BJP's victory in the February 2025 Delhi elections. At the April 17 meeting, chaired by Delhi health minister Pankaj Singh, it was decided that Mohalla Clinics located in the vicinity of new AAMs would be phased out as the latter could cater to the same demography. 'The Mohalla Clinics in the vicinity should be withdrawn if the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs can cater the same population of that particular area,' read the minutes prepared on May 7. It was also noted that 1,139 sub-centres have been approved for AAMs across Delhi, while 123 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been cleared under the National Health Mission for the 2025-26 financial year. Of the 553 existing Mohalla Clinics, only 11 are housed in government buildings. In March, health minister Pankaj Singh announced that around 250 Mohalla Clinics functioning on rented properties will be shut. Officials said 70 locations have already been identified for conversion to AAMs, and the Public Works Department (PWD) was instructed to complete this work by the third week of May. HT had onApril 25reported that the deadline for completing the first 70 AAMs was May 31. The minutes also stated that doctors and paramedical staff currently employed at Mohalla Clinics would continue under existing terms for up to a year, or until new AAM staff are appointed. A sufficient notice period would be given before de-empanelment, as per contractual terms. Officials further recommended that new hiring follow Delhi State Health Mission norms. 'Recruitment may be done by the respective districts under the supervision of District Magistrates,' the minutes said. The minister directed officials to submit a detailed proposal on this. The meeting also reviewed progress on 11 Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHLs) set up under PM-ABHIM. Officials said Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital in Tahirpur, Shahdara, had been chosen as the site for a model IPHL, with assessments already completed. Nine other hospitals in nine districts have been identified for IPHLs. As New Delhi district lacks a hospital, the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) has been directed to explore facilities for setting up or upgrading an IPHL. The phased removal of Mohalla Clinics—a flagship health initiative of the erstwhile Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government—marks a significant shift in the Capital's healthcare infrastructure, as the BJP-led Centre's scheme takes root. The final decision, according to officials, hinges on whether AAMs can fully absorb the patient load and maintain service quality in areas previously served by Mohalla Clinics.
