While the central government is rolling out several health schemes for the poor in the national capital, Narela, placed in the outer circle of the city paints a completely different picture.
Narela which consists of nearly ten villages suffers a major setback in terms of health services. The pregnant women living in these villages walk nearly four kilometres for a daily medical check-up in the maternity centre or private clinic.
The villages are devoid of any Accredited Social Health Activist, (ASHA workers). Also, there is no public transport facility in these villages.
The condition of these expectant women takes an ugly turn when they walk about two to four kilometer for medical check-up owing to the absence of any ASHA worker.
The ASHA workers are assigned to look after the health conditions of these pregnant women. Also, they are responsible for providing these women with the basic medicines administer injections, dietary charts and also take them to the hospital for delivery.
A dweller of Bakhtawar Pur, Sarla Devi said, "Neither are there any ASHA workers nor any medical help in my village. We have to walk several kilometres to visit the hospital. Recently, my daughter-in-law faced such a situation."
Adding to this, she said, "We do not have money to visit the private hospitals. Also, if we visit any such private medical centre, they refuse to entertain us."
A similar story echoes in the other villages as well. The women in these villages come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for their daily bread and butter.
However, their ordeal does not end here. After reaching the hospital, the administration refuse to help them owing to lack of registration papers, officials pushing them into departmental machinery and also make them take rounds to complete the formalities. Most of these women belong to the economically weaker section and without proper identity proves.
A doctor at the maternity centre, Bakhtawar Pur, claimed that in an emergency, the doctors visit the villages. Pur also stated that a file has been sent to the government for the appointment of ASHA workers in the villages.
The villagers are seen blaming the government and Municipal corporations. The officials of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) refused to comment on the issue.
The outer circle of (Narela) Delhi which consist villages including Bakhtawar Pur, Akbar Pur Majra, Ghari, Jhangola, Ramzan Pur, Tigi Pur, Qullak Pur, Palla, Sunger Pur and Zindi Pur of Narela.