New Delhi: Delhi lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal, on Monday, approved setting up of mohalla clinics with safeguards to ensure transparency and quality in delivery of health care services. The decision came days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators laid “siege” at the L-G’s office demanding setting up of new mohalla clinics in a bid to ramp up the primary healthcare in the city.
The L-G has also instructed the authorities to migrate to an online system within six months, based on Aadhaar, for proper monitoring of staff at these clinics and to check complaints of data rigging.
The L-G house said that the safeguards are aimed at developing a robust healthcare delivery system besides addressing the complaints received in the implementation of the clinics so far.
“The Hon’ble L-G observed that selection of premises for setting up of AAMCs should be through a transparent and objective mechanism in such a way that the existing healthcare facilities are utilised in an optimum manner and the facilities are accessible to all, especially the weaker sections, without any duplication of scarce public resources. In case of private premises, it has been noted that the selection of premises and fixation of rent should be through a transparent open process as per prevalent PWD/CPWD norms,” the LG office said.
The L-G added that in order to ensure that there is no compromise on the quality of healthcare, the staff, including the doctors and the nurses employed in these clinics, should be engaged through a transparent mechanism.
To check complaints of data rigging, the L-G has advised that the administrative department must develop a sound mechanism to verify the number of footfalls claimed in the clinic. In his discussions with the chief minister and the health minister, it has also been decided that the administrative department should evolve and migrate within six months to an online system based on Aadhaar/biometrics of patients. The L-G stressed that adequate safeguards, to ensure data integrity and privacy of patients, must be put in place by the administrative department. The L-G has also asked the department to ensure that all requisite instructions and codal formalities should be followed with proper oversight while incurring expenditure for procurement, supply and/or outsourcing of services.
