CM promises jobs for Mohalla Clinic staff in Arogya Mandirs

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday assured protesting Mohalla Clinic staff that they will be absorbed into the upcoming Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), even as the government begins phasing out clinics in areas where the new centres are being established.

- Ridhima Gupta and Alok Mishra

NEW DELHI:

Her assurance came after scores of doctors, paramedics, and other clinic workers gathered outside her office on Friday, demanding clarity on their future and protesting delays in salary disbursal.

The protest, held during the CM's Janata Darbar, was triggered by the government's recent decision to withdraw Mohalla Clinics that overlap with the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. "We will engage you on a priority basis in the new system that the government is creating," Gupta told the staff, adding that preference will be given to existing personnel once the transition begins.

On May 15, HT reported that the Delhi government intends to wind down existing Mohalla Clinics in areas where Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are coming up, since both facilities provide primary healthcare.

According to minutes from a meeting on the operationalisation of Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Mohalla Clinic doctors and staff may be allowed to continue only for a year—or until new personnel are recruited to run the Arogya Mandirs.