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Worries Linger as Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics Face Uncertain Future

Seventy-year-old Vinod Kumar’s eyes widened with concern as he waited for his turn at a mohalla clinic in Sangam Vihar. “Is this going to be shut?” he asked the doctor, only to be met with a somber “Let’s wait and watch”. For Vinod, who relies on the clinic to get his hypertension medicines free of cost, the uncertainty is a worrying prospect.

Mohalla clinics have been a lifeline for thousands of low-income residents in Delhi, particularly those living in unauthorized colonies. With the recent statement by the Health Minister, Shah Satyendra Singh, that over 250 such clinics will be shut down, people are left fretting about the fate of these community-based healthcare centers. Singh’s assertion that the clinics are “frauds” and generate rent expenses has left the staff in a state of uncertainty, worried about their future and the impact on the patients they serve.

At Sangam Vihar’s mohalla clinic, patients like Vinod, Premlata, Mohammad Mukhtar, and Chandralata Chauhan, who rely on these facilities for basic healthcare, are grappling with anxiety. For these residents, who often live in close proximity to the clinics, the thought of traveling to government hospitals or private clinics is daunting. “Not all can stand in queues at hospitals,” said Chandralata, “I get nauseous when I sit in a car, how will I go to the hospital?” quipped the 42-year-old homemaker.

Dr. Gyanendra, a physician at one of the mohalla clinics, expressed concern about the impact on his patients. “Many of my patients are either too old or live alone and cannot go on their own to a big hospital. It will be impossible for them to stand in queue in the OPD to get treatment. Many of them do not have enough money to travel far either.” Dr. Gyanendra’s sentiments were echoed by other doctors and staff at the clinics, who are worried about the future of their work and the well-being of their patients.

While the government’s plan to convert some of these clinics into Jan Arogya Mandirs may seem like a solution, the resisting music for mohalla clinic staff is deafening. “We have all the documents, everything is digitized, we have a software that maintains data of patients visiting, tests conducted, and medicines provided to patients… Where will these patients go if we shut these clinics?” a doctor lamented.

As the fate of Delhi’s mohalla clinics hangs in the balance, one thing is certain – the people of Delhi will have a stake in the outcome.

Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/mohalla-clinics-500-600-steps-away-from-ones-house-easiest-way-to-get-medicines-9876209/
Category : Cities,Delhi
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Publish Date: 2025-03-09 02:04:00