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Delhi govt to inaugurate 34 new Arogya Mandirs on July 24
The government health care centres will be launched virtually across all 11 districts of the Capital.
The government will inaugurate 34 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) in the city on July 24 as part of the second phase of the rollout. The government health care centres will be launched virtually across all 11 districts of the Capital.
The list of the upcoming AAMs, also seen by HT, includes five centres in central Delhi, four in east Delhi, two in new Delhi, one in north district 1, five in northwest, four in Shahdara, three in south Delhi, one in southeast, three in southwest, four in west, two in northeast Delhi.
Notably, AAMs are free, walk-in government clinics that were announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government when they came to power earlier this year. In the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, Mohalla Clinics offered the free of cost treatment to residents and were shut after the new government won the assembly elections.
“The old Mohalla Clinic in our area had become a landmark, as it was used by everyone,” said M Amjed, 45, who runs a small garment shop in Rodgran, near Sadanand Marg in central Delhi. “Recently, the clinic has been freshly painted and converted into an Arogya Mandir, but people still know it as the Mohalla Clinic.”
From the outside, it looks as if the clinic has been given a new lease of life, said Afroz Khan, 35, who also runs a shop nearby. “My father has been a regular visitor here since he is diabetic and needs monthly medication. Earlier, we were worried the clinic would shut down, but luckily that didn’t happen. After it was converted into an Arogya Mandir, he visited once to get his medicines and was able to collect them without any issue.”
About three kilometres away, at another newly refurbished Arogya Mandir located inside the Tis Hazari Court complex, doctors say the clinic has seen a rise in footfall since it was inaugurated last month on July 16.
“Earlier, the clinic had an average daily footfall of 30–40 patients, which has now increased to around 60 on a daily basis. Among this increase, we are noticing a rise in the number of female patients,” said one of the staff at the clinic, who did not wish to be named. The staff added that currently, the clinic has no shortage of medicines. “As per the Essential Drug List (EDL), the clinic should have around 105 types of medicines. Currently, the clinic has almost 80 percent of the stock and is fulfilling the needs of the patients.”
On July 6, Union health minister JP Nadda and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, during an event at Vigyan Bhawan to distribute appointment letters to 1,400 nurses, announced that Delhi will get 1,100 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs by March 31, 2026. The CM also stated that work on the new Arogya Mandirs has been completed and that the government will inaugurate the new centres this month.
“Around 40 Arogya Mandirs are now ready, and this month, we are going to have a virtual inauguration for these Arogya Mandirs,” said health minister Pankaj Singh.
