Kondli Residents Criticize Mohalla Clinic Due to Lack of Healthcare Professionals

New Delhi, Dec 24 (NationPress) A recent assessment of the functioning of the Delhi government’s Mohalla Clinic located in the Kondli constituency, situated in East Delhi, unveiled a troubling scenario on Tuesday, as residents voiced their grievances regarding the lack of healthcare professionals and support staff.

The Mohalla Clinic initiative, introduced by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2015, aimed to deliver healthcare services directly to the doorstep of residents in densely populated and economically disadvantaged regions. However, local resident Ruby Devi criticized the initiative, stating that it has fallen short of its objectives.

This scheme was launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to ensure that accessible and affordable health services reach underprivileged communities, particularly in areas with high population density.

"The Mohalla Clinic remains closed most of the time. Although clinics have been established in numerous locations, no actual treatment is being provided anywhere," Ruby remarked, asserting that she had learned the doctors are unwilling to attend the clinic because Kejriwal has not compensated them for six months.

Ruby Devi also pointed out that many Mohalla Clinics were either poorly maintained or remained locked due to insufficient staff. “They have opened these clinics in many areas, yet they serve no real purpose,” she told IANS.

The housewife recounted a negative experience from a previous visit to the clinic. “I arrived to get a blood test, but I was told to leave and seek assistance elsewhere,” Ruby Devi lamented.

She further shared that due to the absence of doctors, the staff provided incomplete medications for minor injuries or fevers affecting her children.

Additionally, she complained that women were being denied complimentary rides on DTC buses, as the drivers refuse to stop for them at designated bus stops.

While the ruling AAP portrays its Mohalla Clinic initiative as a “game changer”, the opposition parties, including the BJP and Congress, criticize the Delhi government for its failures.

Complaints regarding a shortage of doctors and medications have been prevalent concerning this network of community clinics.

Although Mohalla Clinics were established with the goal of enhancing healthcare accessibility in Delhi, they currently grapple with significant challenges, such as inadequate drug supply, staffing issues, administrative inefficiencies, community involvement, and sustainability, all of which must be addressed to realize their full potential.

Some Mohalla Clinics have also faced scrutiny as private pathology laboratories conducting blood tests manipulated records to inflate their government incentives, including listing non-existent patients in their records.