Delhi govt launches Mahila Mohalla Clinics

Delhi currently has 519 regular mohalla clinics across the city, with the government planning to add another 100 such facilities in areas where these state-run local health clinics are not available.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday inaugurated four special Mohalla Clinics to provide free gynaecological and paediatric medical services to women and children below the age of 12 years, adding that 100 such clinics will come up in various parts of the city.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated Mahila Mohalla Clinics to provide free comprehensive healthcare for women, at DIZ area, near Gole Market, in New Delhi, on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

“Good news for the women of Delhi. Another new initiative is going to happen in Delhi’s world-class health services from today. The government is going to start a special ‘Mahila Mohalla Clinic’ for women where they will get their gynaecologist`s services, tests, and medicines that are free of cost,” the CM tweeted on Wednesday.

Delhi currently has 519 regular mohalla clinics across the city, with the government planning to add another 100 such facilities in areas where these state-run local health clinics are not available.

Addressing the media after inaugurating the clinics, Kejriwal said at these specialised clinics, the staff too will be all women. “Women used to have difficulty discussing gynaecological problems with male doctors, hence we have inaugurated four mahila mohalla clinics to resolve this problem,” Kejriwal said. ”Earlier, even for small medical cases like fever, cough and cold, patients had to visit big hospitals like AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), Safdarjung, and GTB (Guru Teg Bahadur) hospitals, which have long queues and non-availability of medicines.”

The CM said that this issue has been resolved by the opening mohalla clinics, which provides a “world-class facility to patients free of cost” .

“This model has been adopted by the leaders and CMs of other states ,” Kejriwal claimed. “I would be more than happy if they start establishing mahila mohalla clinics in other states as well.”