Delhi govt orders closure of 95 more mohalla clinics

Delhi government shuts down 95 more mohalla clinics near new Aarogya Mandirs, citing fraud and proximity, facing backlash from clinic staff.

The Delhi government has issued a fresh order to shut down 95 more mohalla clinics across the city that are within a kilometre of the newly opened Aarogya Mandirs.

A mohalla clinic near Gole market. (HT Archive)

This is the third such closure order issued by the government in recent months. The first order came in August to shut 31 mohalla clinics running out of porta cabins and rented accommodations. Then, in October, the government issued an order to shut down 121 more mohalla clinics located within a kilometre of nearby health facilities.

Mohalla clinics were launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi in 2015 with the aim of making health-care facilities accessible to all.

In March this year, Delhi health minister Pankaj Singh said at a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat that mohalla clinics are “centres of fraud”. “Around 250 mohalla clinics exist only on paper or on rented land, with rent expenses being misused. The government will soon shut these 250 mohalla clinics.”

Jitender Kumar, president of the Mohalla Clinic Union, said, “We were assured by CM Rekha Gupta during the janata darbar that all existing mohalla clinic staff would be adjusted in Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs without any interview. But contrary to that assurance, the government has started shutting down more mohalla clinics without providing jobs to existing mohalla clinic employees. We have filed a PIL in court and hope to get justice.”

When asked about this, minister Singh said, “We are only shutting down clinics that are close to upcoming Aarogya Mandirs and those that were running from porta cabins. The new Aarogya Mandirs will have better health-care facilities for the public.”