Staffers rue Delhi govt’s decision to close 121 mohalla clinics

The staff union claimed that about 2,000 people, including doctors, are likely to lose their jobs because of the move.

As many as 121 mohalla clinics in the city are set to shut down, as per an order by the state programme officer of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) under the Delhi health department. Disappointed over the order, the Mohalla Clinic Staff Union has subsequently filed an interim Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court against the government’s decision.

A mohalla clinic in Sangam Vihar. (HT Archive)

“As per the directions of the secretary health, this is to inform that 121 porta cabin (mohalla clinics), which are located within 1km of a nearby health facility, will be closed very soon with the approval of the competent authority,” read the order, issued by Dr Manoj Kumar Gupta.

The staff union claimed that about 2,000 people, including doctors, are likely to lose their jobs because of the move.

The authorities at these clinics have also been asked to provide an inventory list including furniture, equipment, medicines, consumables, medical and non-medical equipment, and any other assets available on the site, as per the order, also seen by HT.

Meanwhile, Delhi health minister Pankaj Singh said that the centres are being closed as they are planning to set up Arogya Mandirs.

“The porta cabins are being shut as the government has plans to get Arogya Mandir. We are planning to inaugurate around 100 more Arogya Mandirs in the coming months,” he said.

HT accessed the list of the mentioned 121 mohalla clinics and visited several locations to assess their functioning.

Near Sewa Nagar Basti in Jangpura’s Bhogal, inside a narrow lane, is one such clinic that has been operational for the last seven years and is well known among the locals. Residents say many of them visit the facility for routine check-ups, free medicines, or diagnostic tests.

“This is the only clinic I visit whenever my daughter gets sick. I don’t care about politics, but the doctors here have always helped us. Before this clinic was established, many of us would go to Safdarjung or AIIMS hospitals, but because of the long queues, we often avoided visiting hospitals for minor illnesses. Ever since the mohalla clinic opened, it has become easy for my wife and others to consult doctors for seasonal flu or other small issues,” Vikky, 30, a daily wage worker in the neighbourhood, said,

In south Delhi’s CR Park, another mohalla clinic on the closure list has been in the area since 2015. Arvind Biswas, 70, and his wife Manju, 65, regular visitors to the clinic, said, “A lot of elderly people live in this locality. Soon after the clinic was established, it became very popular. Many of us come here to get medicines, especially for diabetes.”

In northwest Delhi’s Rohini, another mohalla clinic staff member said the facility receives around 120 patients on a daily basis as it caters to several nearby slum clusters. “As of now, the clinic is functional, but we have been asked to provide a list of all inventories. Beyond that, we haven’t received further instructions,” the staff member said.

At another clinic near Khalsa College in Karol Bagh, also on the closure list, the staff said, “We have been asked to submit our inventory list, and our multi-tasking workers have also been told not to report to work as their contracts are ending.”

Each mohalla clinic typically deploys a doctor, a pharmacist, and one or two multi-tasking workers. Doctors are paid ₹40 per registered patient, with a minimum guarantee of 75 patients per day. Pharmacists and assistants earn ₹12 and ₹10 per patient, respectively.

Following the government’s decision, the Mohalla Clinic Union has filed a PIL in the high court and the matter is listed for next week.

Before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in Delhi in February this year, there were 535 mohalla clinics across the city, of which 165 operated from rented spaces, according to information from government officials.

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

In August, the Delhi government announced the closure of 31 mohalla clinics running from rented accommodations in the city.

On August 21, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) directed the Delhi government not to dismiss nearly a thousand employees engaged in the clinics by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government before March 31, 2026.

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 Arogya Mandirs without any interview. However, the government has started shutting down more mohalla clinics without providing jobs to existing employees. We have filed a PIL in the court and hope to get justice.”

The health minister told HT, “The pota cabins are being shut as the government has plans to get Arogya Mandir. We are planning to inaugurate around 100 more arogya mandirs in the coming months.”