Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said that there has been politics related to land for mohalla cinics and the government has come up with portable mohalla clinics using shipping containers.
One such mohalla clinic has been set up through CSR at Shakur Basti and this is a sample project, the Minister said.
“There have been politics related to mohalla clinics. Wherever we have wanted to open them, we have faced issues with land. Land is with the Central government and the DDA had promised in the High Court to give land for 500 mohalla clinics, but they have not given land for even one mohalla clinic,” Mr. Jain said.
100% transferable
“We have created readymade mohalla clinic inside shipping container. It will be built in factories. It is 100% transferable and can be shifted in trucks from one place to another,” he said.
He said that the current mohalla clinic is a sample done through CSR by a company and despite installing them on the Delhi government land, the municipal corporations that is governed by the BJP, still creates issues.
“In many areas in Delhi, we don’t have enough space to build mohalla clinics. This new clinic takes only half the space of existing ones. Earlier, mohalla clinics’ area was 600 square feet, now it takes only 300 square feet,” Mr. Jain said.
He said that the government is planning more such projects.
Mohalla clinics is one of the flagship initiatives of the Kejriwal government to boost the primary healthcare system in Delhi. A typical mohalla clinic has a doctor and a midwife-cum-nurse. It provides an array of diagnostic services and essential medicines free of cost.
Published - August 31, 2021 12:53 am IST
