Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta assured doctors and staffers of mohalla clinics on Friday that they would be absorbed into the upcoming Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the Capital. A report from The Indian Express on May 15 highlighted concerns that mohalla clinic personnel might retain their positions for only a year or until the Delhi government recruits new staff to run these arogya mandirs. This information was part of the minutes from a meeting attended by Health Minister Dr. Pankaj Singh last week. Speaking to around 500 attendees at a Janta Darbar held at her residence in Shalimar Bagh, Gupta stated, “Wherever arogya mandirs will be built, existing mohalla clinic staffers will be the first to be given jobs. Don’t worry… We will occupy you first… we will first give you preference.”
Despite this assurance, many doctors and staffers sought a written confirmation. Jitendra Kumar, a pharmacist from a mohalla clinic, voiced their concerns, saying, “Whatever documents we have been getting say that the contract will be for one year or until the Ayushman Arogya Mandir staff is recruited. So, what will happen to us?” He also emphasized the need for a meeting with senior health officials at the Delhi Secretariat to clarify job security for the mohalla clinic personnel.
The contracts for these doctors and staff, established under the previous AAP regime, expired on March 31, just a month after the new BJP government decided to transition mohalla clinics into Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs under PM-ABHIM. On Friday, mohalla clinics across Delhi remained closed. One doctor mentioned that they need to submit signed work contracts to the state programme officer by May 19. The contracts stipulate that the empanelment of doctors will last until March 31 of the following year or until new personnel for the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are appointed, whichever comes first.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticized the Delhi BJP government, claiming the termination of thousands of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and multi-tasking staff from mohalla clinics. Saurabh Bharadwaj, Delhi AAP chief, spoke to reporters and alleged that minutes from a May 7 meeting indicated plans to shut down most mohalla clinics. He claimed that these clinics would only operate until the arogya mandirs were built, after which both the clinics and their personnel would be removed. He noted that many staff members have worked at mohalla clinics since 2017, relying on these jobs for their families. “It’s not like they were earning in lakhs,” Bharadwaj said. “Some earn Rs 8,000, some Rs 10,000… Their earnings haven’t even increased since 2017.”
In response to these accusations, Minister Pankaj Singh stated that the government would be fair and include all eligible personnel. “There will be a proper process to hire doctors, and all eligible candidates can apply. There will be transparency in the selection as we aim to provide the best healthcare to our people. All good doctors and healthcare workers will be with us. Everything will be done systematically,” he assured.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/mohalla-clinic-staffers-will-be-the-first-to-be-given-jobs-at-arogya-mandirs-delhi-cm-10011494/
Category: Cities,Delhi
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Publish Date: 2025-05-17 05:10:00
