Delhi
There are 160 Mohalla clinics running in the Capital, aimed at providing free healthcare to people
Updated : Nov 17, 2017, 08:30 AM IST
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday has approved a proposal in which the Delhi State Health Mission (DSHM) will manage and set up 1,000 Mohalla clinics in the Capital. The decision was taken in a review meeting of the DSHM along with Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Social Welfare Minister Rajendar Pal Gautam and senior officers.
At present, there are 160 Mohalla clinics running in the national capital. These clinics are aimed at providing free healthcare to people close to their homes. The scheme is a flagship project of the AAP government.
The meeting chaired by the Chief Minister also allowed the Rogi Kalyan Samitis (RKS) to hire short-term manpower for hospitals to fill the gaps in health services.
"This will help hospitals have an adequate number of staff for services as and when required," Kejriwal said.
The decision came after a month-long indefinite strike by the health mission workers demanding 'same work, same pay'. The 2,700 workers in the city went on a strike paralyzing the health system at the grassroots level. Workers in all the eleven vertical programs including Reproductive Child Health RCH, Tuberculosis Program, Leprosy Program, IDSP, Integrated Disease Surveillance Program etc, involving doctors, pharmacists, nurses, ANMs, lab technicians, had ceased work for the longest strike this year.
The 800 Auxillary Nurse Midwife, ANM workers, perform at least two immunisations weekly for children in different areas and if calculated, more than 40,000 children did not receive their vaccines during the strike, thus questioning the working of these clinics.