The Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government to adopt a "holistic approach" while setting up mohalla clinics in the city, instead of proceeding in piecemeal fashion by first getting land and then trying to recruit staff for these health care centres.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar made these observation after it was informed that the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has cleared 107 sites for setting up the clinics and the Aam Aadmi Party government is initiating the process of recruiting staff for these centres.
"How will you man these 107 clinics? Do you have a cadre? You cannot start land first and then recruitment later. It has to be holistic," the court said.
Of the three municipal corporations, the one representing south Delhi has said it cannot permit setting up mohalla clinics in primary schools.
The south Delhi municipal corporation, represented by central government standing counsel Monika Arora, also told the bench that it has sought some additional information from the Delhi government and on receiving it a policy on the issue of setting up such clinics would be framed.
The north and east Delhi municipal corporations said they are examining the feasibility of setting up the clinics in their respective jurisdictions.
The bench, thereafter, directed the corporations to inform the court about the outcome of the deliberations on the next date of hearing on May 9.
The court was hearing NGO Justice for All's PIL seeking a direction to the authorities to allot adequate number of plots for construction of these clinics with permission to raise the appropriate temporary structures to run them to provide adequate health facility to the people.
The health project had been delayed after complaints of irregularities were received by the LG, leading to a probe by the Vigilance Department. The lack of land for the project had also held it up.
Advocate Khagesh B Jha, appearing for the NGO, had earlier alleged before the bench that through the LG has now approved the scheme of Mohalla Clinics, due to multiplicity of agencies and difference of opinion among them,it was being put in place at a very slow pace.
The NGO has claimed that "the poor residents of the city have no means to afford the costly treatment of the private hospitals and are completely dependent on the government hospitals and dispensaries which has limited strength and unable to serve the population in normal days."
The petition has sought directions to the Centre, the DDA and the MCD to remove the technical difficulties for construction of the temporary structures and running the clinics.
The plea urged that the authorities be asked to depute doctors, staffs and provide proper facilities for their smooth functioning.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
