Delhi budget for health: More mohalla clinics, 20,000 beds in govt hospitals

In Delhi budget 2017-18, the Aam Aadmi Party government has allocated Rs 5,736 crores for the health care. More Mohalla Clinics in the offing

In Delhi budget 2017-18, the Aam Aadmi Party government has allocated Rs 5,736 crores for the health care, a marginal increase of Rs 517 crore from last year’s Rs 5,259 crore.

Delhi government had promised to increase the number of mohalla clinics to 1,000 by the end of 2016. The deadline was then extended to March 2017. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

With focus on primary health care, the government is set to increase the number of mohalla clinics. Currently, 110 such clinics are functional across Delhi.

The government had earlier promised to increase the number to 1,000 by the end of 2016. The deadline was then extended to March 2017 citing tussle with the then lieutenant governor, Najeeb Jung.

Apart from that, 23 polyclinics with clinics of doctors from various specialities are also functional. “By the end of this year, there will be 150 mohalla clinics and 150 polyclinics by the end of 2018 ” said deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.

In its previous budget speech too, the government had said that 100 mohalla clinics in rented locations and 20 polyclinics were functional.

He also said that work is going on to increase the number of beds to 20,000. This will be done by adding seven hospitals and remodelling 10 existing hospitals. Currently, there are 10,820 beds in Delhi government hospitals. This too was promised by the government in the previous budget.

The budget sets aside Rs 15 crore for medical tests. Recently, the government tied up with 21 private laboratories to provide 13 expensive tests like MRI, CT scan, PET-CT which are either unavailable or have long waiting periods at the government hospitals.

The government has also planned five deaddiction centres.