NEW DELHI: The employment crisis around Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics is growing, as the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has started sending 14-day termination notices to 121 clinics. The move follows the government’s decision to shut down clinics that were running from portable cabins, leaving hundreds of healthcare workers worried about their future.
The Mohalla Clinic Staff Union has written to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Union Health Ministry, asking them to cancel the termination orders. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also raised the issue during a press conference on Sunday, accusing the government of going back on its promise to protect the workers.
Jitendra Kumar, president of the Mohalla Clinic Staff Union, said many staff members are losing their jobs without any alternative arrangements. “Each clinic has four employees. So far, 152 clinics have been closed, which means 608 workers are now jobless. The government has started sending termination notices, giving just two weeks to leave,” he said.
Kumar added that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had earlier promised that no one would lose their job. “During a Janata Darbar on October 16, the Chief Minister assured us that all Mohalla Clinic staff would be adjusted in the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. But instead of placing us there, the government is closing more clinics. We have written to the Chief Minister and requested a meeting,” he said.
The latest closures affect 121 clinics that were running in portable cabins. In August, the government had already shut down 31 clinics operating from rented buildings, citing lease and operational issues. Union members said none of the employees from those centres were given new postings, despite earlier assurances.
