Uncertainty looms large as TN govt ponders over fate of ‘Amma’ mini clinics

The fate of ‘Amma’ mini clinics across Tamil Nadu hangs on a thread as the State government will soon decide whether or not to continue with the facility.
PIC: DEBADATTA MALLICK
PIC: DEBADATTA MALLICK

CHENNAI: The fate of 'Amma' mini clinics across Tamil Nadu hangs on a thread as the State government will soon decide whether or not to continue with the facility. In this regard, a high-level meeting was held at the Secretariat in presence of health officials on October 1.

Sources privy to the meeting told TNIE the clinics could be merged with other health schemes in the State, while ensuring the services provided by them. "There are two schools of thought about the clinics; that they would be useful in areas where access to quality healthcare is difficult, and that they would be redundant in areas where there is easy access to high-level healthcare," said a source, pointing out that the clinics' future could not be determined until a few more high-level meetings are held.

While the original intention of the clinics was to identify fever symptoms, they lost its purpose soon after the launch and started functioning as vaccination centres. The staff, too, have been transferred to conduct mega vaccination drives. But with possibilities of the pandemic waning out, their futures are on the line.

The contract doctors and nurses at the clinics have faced severe pay delays; some contracts have also been terminated without giving salary. Recently, a few of these doctors had received a message on WhatsApp, allegedly from the government, saying fund allotments for the clinics have been negative due to restrictions by the finance department. "Hence, all superintendents are requested not to claim the contract payment for mini-clinic doctors until the problem has been solved," the message read.

When TNIE attempted to verify the message, many doctors said their salary for August was delayed by 15 to 17 days. "Now, we are told they are holding back our September salary as well. We still haven't got it and we aren't sure when we will get it," said Suresh*, a doctor from Madurai.

Another doctor, Karthik* from Thanjavur, had similar experiences. TNIE in August had reported how contracts of doctors in at least five mini clinics in Tiruppur were terminated without salaries being paid.

With the future of clinics looking grim, the career of these doctors is a question mark. "We skipped our post graduation admission this year and joined Covid duty as they had advertised for a job with `60,000 salary. If they close the mini-clinics and cut us loose, we would not be in a stable position," said a doctor from Kancheepuram.

Another doctor from Tiruchy said, "We have had vaccination duty, dengue duty, and even Covid duty during the peak of the pandemic. Now, we do not know about our future."

When asked about the future of the clinics, an official from the health department said, "A final decision will be taken only at the highest level. The outcomes are uncertain."

*Names changed

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