Over half of 600 new mohalla clinics to be in schools

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a review meeting on Monday, where he ordered expedition of the work for setting up more than 600 Mohalla clinics in the Capital, over half of which will be in schools, official sources said.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has been tasked with setting up 333 of the 607 mohalla clinics. Of these 333 clinics, 265 will come up in Delhi government schools and called School clinics.

Currently, 187 mohalla clinics are functional across the Capital.

"The work on these new mohalla clinics would start soon. Once these clinics are ready, the number of mohalla clinics in Delhi will go up to at least 607. However, this number will go up as joint inspections and review of non-feasible sites are done," an official statement noted.

"Adding the 333 school clinics, the number of primary health centres in Delhi will go close to 1,000 (mohalla clinics and school clinics)," the statement said.

At the meeting held at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister took stock of the status of existing mohalla clinics as well as operation theatres and availability of medical equipment in government hospitals.

Kejriwal was informed by the Health department that there are a total of 190 operation theatres in Delhi government hospitals. It submitted that of the 190 theatres, 171 are fully functional, i.e. 90 per cent.

The CM sought the status of the other 19 operation theatres, which were non-functional, and how soon would they become functional. He was informed there were issues regarding the manpower and equipment, due to which they were non-functional.