Three years ago, when the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promised that 1,000 Mohalla clinics will be opened in the city to cater to the sick and the needy. Three years on, only 164 Mohalla clinics have been made. The Quint made a visit to four such clinics to show their dilapidated condition.
Ruins and debris everywhere
Their first visit was to the clinic in Maharani Bagh, Kilokari. From the outside, it looked fine but as soon as the reporter ventured inside the premises, he found a different picture altogether. From tiles to ceiling everything is broken and in ruins. The floorings, lights and bathrooms are all in tatters.
A local resident told The Quint, “It ran for a month and has been dysfunctional for a year now. It’s a total waste of money. The AAP has wasted public money. Constructing the clinic here was very insensible.”
In Delhi Minister Gopal Rai’s constituency, Babarpur, the Mohalla clinic is in the worst possible condition. A place where doctors and patients are supposed to be, donkeys and mules have overtaken. It was built only a year ago and has not been inaugurated yet. A fire charred every inch of it last month.
Two other Mohalla clinics, in Gokulpuri and Khajuri Flyover, have all the amenities in place. The clinic near Khajuri flyover even has a security guard. But, these two clinics have been non-functional as there are no doctors.
‘Will be functional by July 1’
When The Quint contacted AAP for their statement, Health Minister Satyendar Jain promised that all the clinics will be fully functional and fixed within July 1. AAP said that it has taken cognisance of the allegations against the Mohalla Clinics. The party, however, alleged that some of the newly constructed clinics were not operational due to the L-G Anil Baijal’s reluctance to give the necessary permissions and the IAS officers’ strike, reported The Quint.
They also said that the Kilokari clinic was shut down due to multiple robberies. The government will relocate it to another building in the area.
The entire story can be here at The Quint.
