NEW DELHI: The commuters travelling by metro, buses or even an airplane will soon have access to medical facilities with free medicines and tests, as the government is all set to extend its flagship initiative of ‘mohalla clinics’.
The health department official on Tuesday shared that the government gave a nod to eight such proposed mohalla clinics, out of which four will be at the busiest metro stations, two at the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBTs) and two at the Delhi airport.
The official said that it will be the first time that any airport or a bus stand will have such a facility, offering an immediate healthcare facility. This is in line with the AAP government’s plan to start 1,000 such clinics in the city. The government so far has launched as many as 517 mohalla clinics in Delhi.
A senior official shared that all these designated clinics will be ready in the next three to four months. “We cannot disclose the name of the metro stations till the Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the bodies concerned. Two clinics will be built at the ISBTs- Kashmere Gate and Anand Vihar and the other two will be at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.”
The officials said that the approximate cost for each of the clinics will be Rs 20 lakh. A typical mohalla clinic comprises of a doctor and a midwife-cum-nurse. It provides an array of diagnostic services and essential medicines free of cost.
According to the sources, the areas identified are either in the form of an already-built-up shop or a vacant DMRC land for which the NOC has to be taken by the authorities concerned.
The project aims at providing medical facilities in densely populated localities so that the patients don’t have to travel distances to get treatment.