Mohalla Clinics: Doors Shut During Regular Hours
On a visit to the Wazirabad Mohalla Clinic, we found the doors closed despite it being a regular working day. Several Mohalla clinics across Delhi were not operational during working hours. Meenakshi, a local resident, said, "On the morning of August 18th, I came here, but the clinic was closed for three days. I had to go to a private facility located far away."
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Meenakshi wasn't the only one. Horilal, another local resident, also shared his experience, saying, "I have a burning sensation in my legs. The medicines prescribed by the Mohalla Clinic doctors offer very little relief." When asked whether the doctors properly examined him, he responded, "They checked me only once, but not during my other visits. I don't know why they didn't examine me."
Mohalla Clinics: Questionable Quality of Care - Patients Speak Out
Meenakshi also echoed these concerns, sharing her own experience when she brought her baby to the clinic. "My baby was experiencing ear pain. They didn't conduct a proper check-up; they simply asked for his name and what was wrong, and then prescribed medication," she said. When she asked for advice on breastfeeding, "They ignored me and seemed eager to get rid of me as soon as possible."
Unpacking the Overcrowding and Inefficacy of Delhi's Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics in Delhi have been in the limelight for their apparent success. However, the reality appears to be different. Tannu, a local resident, paints a picture of a clinic that is overwhelmingly crowded. "The clinic is usually extremely crowded, to the extent that the queue extends outside the building. People from other localities also come here, and that adds to the overcrowding," said Tannu.
Further, Tannu raised a critical issue about jurisdiction, stating, "When we try to go to the clinic in Vasundhara Enclave, they turn us away, saying, 'You're from another area, so you can't come here for check-ups.’ However, the clinic in my area accepts people from all states. Each clinic should serve only its designated area."
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Saroj reiterated, "Due to the crowd, local residents don't get timely appointments. People from places like Khora and Ashok Nagar also come to this clinic, which makes local residents wait longer."
Ineffective Medications: Are Mohalla Clinics Cutting Corners?
Abrisa, another clinic-goer, drew attention to the questionable quality of medical supplies and treatments. "Good medicines are not provided. I took medicine for back pain but experienced no relief. It seems like the same medicines are given for fevers and pains; it's as if all the medications are the same," she pointed out.
"No Mobile, No Medicine": A Growing Chorus of Complaints
Shanti's plight echoes this frustration. "They neither provide medicines nor do check-ups because I don’t have a mobile phone. For whom has Kejriwal opened these clinics? These clinics are definitely not for the marginalised and downtrodden," she states emphatically.
Puneet Shukla and Yashoda shed light on another issue—mandatory multiple forms of identification just to avail basic healthcare services. "An Aadhaar Card should be sufficient for any test reports, but here they also ask us for a Voters ID Card," says Puneet Shukla.
Yashoda pointed out the sharp contrast between previous experiences and the current situation. "Three years ago, during my pregnancy, a phone number wasn't required—only the Aadhaar Card was needed. Now they say, 'Come with your phone numbers,'" she reveals.
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