21 Mohalla clinics thrown open to public in Delhi

As part of efforts to decongest big hospitals and make healthcare accessible to all, 21 mohalla clinics in various parts of the national capital were today thrown open to the public.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today inaugurated one such clinic in Munirka area.
Speaking on the occasion, he said, "While the previous dispensation spent Rs 5 crores for setting up dispensaries, we are setting up mohalla clinics at a cost of Rs 20 lakhs. Here in these clinics, we are providing free treatment, medicines and diagnostic facilities. You can avail these facilities for minor ailments. You do not need to go to a private doctor anymore."

The AAP government plans to set up 1,000 such clinics by December 31.
All these clinics as of now are operating from rented premises and the government will soon build permanent structures.
The first mohalla clinic was inaugurated in July last year in Rajiv Gandhi JJ Punjabi Colony, a relief camp in Peeragarhi.

For little more severe ailments, Kejriwal said, Government will set up 150 polyclinics in the city by December 31.
"22 of the 150 planned polyclinics are now operational and by December 31, we will set up the rest 128 clinics. For very severe ailments one can go to big hospitals," he said.

These polyclinics will have doctors from eight specialities such as orthopaedics, gynaecology and paediatrics etc. And would provide medical test facilities like X-ray, ECG and ultrasound at these polyclinics.
In a bid to decongest government hospitals and make healthcare accessible to all, Delhi government has adopted a "three-tier public health roadmap".
The first tier, mohalla clinics, which will be people's first contact point with the healthcare system, will refer patients needing a specialist to the next level, the polyclinic. The polyclinics will refer only patients who require surgery or hospitalisation to a multi-speciality hospital.
The third tier will be hospitals, they are being re-modelled even as new institutions are to be set up. Delhi government also will set up an additional 10,000 hospital beds in Delhi over the next two years.

Noting that Delhi government has already decided to waive off water bills pending till November last year, Kejriwal urged people to be beware of fraudsters who might charge money for getting their water bills waived off.
He also said that he has been receiving complaints from people about they receiving water bills of Rs 3 lakhs and when enquired they turned out to be false.
Delhi government has earmarked Rs 5,259 crore for the health sector in its 2016-17 budget, a hike of close to 10 per cent over the allocation last fiscal.