Kejriwal blames LG for delay in mohalla clinics

The work on opening mohalla clinics got held up as the concerned file was stuck with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung but now the Delhi government is requesting him to release it so that work can come back on track, said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday.

Inaugurating two mohalla clinics at night shelter complexes at Dandi Park and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT, Kejriwal said the Delhi government has set a target of setting up 1,000 mohalla clinics by March next year to provide "quality health services".

“Our air-conditioned mohalla clinics are so good that not just the poor but even the well-off people are using the services,” said Kejriwal.

Our government is the only one which is working for the poor. “Other parties look at the poor as vote banks and work for them only before elections,” said Kejriwal.

He said his government wanted to open 1,000 clinics by the year end but the file was stopped by the LG.

“Now, we are persuading him to release the file and, hopefully, all the mohalla clinics will be set up by March end,” said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal said it was only his government in the country which was trying to offer right to health services to all homeless.

The Chief Minister said his government has formed 18 rescue teams which will work from 10 pm to 4 am to move around the city and shift people sleeping in the open to night shelters.

Kejriwal also urged the public to join the government's efforts to look after the homeless during winter.

“We have launched a mobile application through which images of homeless persons sleeping in the open can be sent. Our teams will action on receiving the photo and shift them to night shelters,” said the Chief Minister.

The new shelter at Sarai Kale Khan will be in addition to the existing five being run by the DUSIB for 600 people.

This Mohalla Clinic will also primarily cater to the needs of homeless people, giving them free medical facilities which include medical tests and medicines also. Mohalla Clinics in Shelters is a first of its kind initiative taken by the Delhi government.

In addition, a recovery shelter has also been inaugurated at Sarai Kale Khan having a capacity of 50 beds with modern facilities to cater to the requirements of the homeless population, who are discharged from the hospital and are in dire need of care for recovery after illness.

The DUSIB will provide all the medical and nursing facilities as well as food to the homeless in collaboration with the LNJP Hospital.

The DUSIB is managing 197 regular shelters for homeless throughout the year, with a capacity of 16,264.

 In order to augment accommodation capacity during  Winters, DUSIB is setting another 62 tent shelters at potential sites of high concentration of homeless.  Two subways, one at AIIMS and another at Punjabi Bagh, have also been made operational for use as Shelters during the Winters. 

The total capacity of all these Shelters is now enhanced to more than 21,000 during the winters.