CM Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates Mahila Mohalla Clinics

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated four Mahila Mohalla Clinics on Wednesday. These Mahila Mohalla Clinics have been developed as special primary healthcare facilities exclusively for women. The CM inaugurated these clinics at a ceremony held at the Mahila Mohalla Clinic developed at DIZ Staff Quarters, Kaali Mandir. On this occasion, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia took stock of all the facilities provided at the clinic and talked to the doctors and staff present there. He also enquired about the whole process under which a patient would be attended and treated at the clinic. The CM informed that soon 100 such facilities will be available for the women of Delhi. While lauding the work of the Mohalla Clinics in the National Capital, Arvind Kejriwal said that it was felt that there needed to be some facilities that are exclusively for women and therefore based on the needs of the women in Delhi, such facilities are being opened on a large-scale.

Arvind Kejriwal stated, “This Mahila Mohalla Clinic Model is the first of its kind innovation in our country. Only women and children aged under 12 will be treated at Mahila Mohalla Clinics. All employees in Mahila Mohalla Clinics will be females and like normal Mohalla Clinics, all the treatment will be free here. May god bless you, may you always be healthy; but don’t worry if there is any problem, this son and brother of yours has made complete arrangements for your treatment. In addition to the 239 types of tests done at Mohalla Clinics, all tests related to female & adolescent healthcare will be done in Mahila Mohalla Clinics.” The first four clinics have been started at Basti Vikas Kendra JJ Camp Moti Lal Nehru Camp, Munirka; Sector – 4 DIZ Area; Sapera Basti, Kondli and DJB Sewage Pumping Station Batla House, Okhla.

*Delhi has always had big hospitals, but citizens would get hassled waiting in lines even for treatment of cough & cold; Mohalla Clinics helped change this forever: CM Arvind Kejriwal*

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “Delhi has always had the big hospitals such as AIIMS, Safdarjung, LNJP, GTB and GB Pant but for primary healthcare, for some common health issues such as a regular cold and cough, people did not have an alternate facility that would cater to them. They would need to visit these big hospitals, often having to wait in long queues over there and also leading to overcrowding in these hospitals. They would also not get medicines free of cost and therefore had to spend for these and other facilities. After our party came to power we started more than 500 Mohalla Clinics all over the city. This enabled the people to visit the clinics in their own ‘mohallas’ and get their health issues addressed. This also solved the problem of overcrowding at major hospitals. Over here the tests are also free of cost for the people and so are their medicines.”

*Mahila Mohalla Clinics will consist only of female staff; will help women talk about their health more comfortably: CM Arvind Kejriwal*

He added, “But we also noticed that the doctors in most of these Mohalla Clinics are male persons and therefore the women may not feel as comfortable as they would with doctors of their own gender. They are also likely to have some health issues that the male doctor may not directly relate to. Therefore there had been the demand from the women in the city that there should be some Mohalla Clinics that are exclusively for them. Today we are glad to announce the opening of four such Mohalla Clinics in the city. In the next couple of days, within the first phase of this project, we will be opening as many as 100 Mahila Mohalla Clinics. After that based on their need, more such facilities can be opened.”

*Mahila Mohalla Clinics to provide comprehensive female healthcare services including gynae and paediatrics: CM Arvind Kejriwal*

He continued, “These facilities are exclusively for women and children under the age of 12 years, so basically it is a gynae as well as paediatrics facility. So, all the health issues of women and mostly pregnant women and adolescent children will be taken care of in these facilities. The staff in all of these facilities will also be women and therefore we think that there will be an ease of communication for the women visiting these facilities. The tests and medicines provided to those who visit the facility will be free of cost. Generally in a Mohalla Clinic we provide 239 tests and apart from that whatever other tests that may be required for the women patients, those will also be made available over here. All facilities for children under the age of 12 years, including their vaccination for various health related issues will also be provided over here.”

*Mohalla Clinics being appreciated globally, expecting similar response for our Mahila Mohalla Clinics: CM Arvind Kejriwal*

He concluded, “As far as I know this is the first such Mahila Mohalla Clinic facility in the world and we are very proud to open this for the public today. Since the AAP government came into power in Delhi, over the years we have opened around 521 Mohalla Clinics and these have been highly appreciated by the people as well as Chief Ministers and other senior ministers of different states. We have had senior government officials from various states come to Delhi to study our ‘Health Model’ and try and implement such a facility in their states. I have full confidence that the Mahila Mohalla Clinic will also receive such a response from the people and other states and soon more such facilities will be available all over the country.”

*Salient Features of Mahila Mohalla Clinics*

The Mahila Mohalla Clinic is a first of its kind primary healthcare initiative in India dedicated to ensuring healthier lives for women and children. The initiative reinstates the commitment of the Delhi Government in making Delhi’s health infrastructure world-class and providing excellent health facilities to every citizen of Delhi.

Citizens can avail the services at a nearby Mahila Mohalla Clinic between 08:00 AM to 02:00 PM six days of the week from Monday to Saturday. The clinics will remain closed only on Sundays. The first four clinics have been started at Basti Vikas Kendra JJ Camp Moti Lal Nehru Camp, Munirka; Sector – 4 DIZ area, New Delhi; Sapera Basti, Kondli and DJB Sewage Pumping Station Batla House, Okhla.

Through the Mahila Mohalla Clinics, the Delhi Government aims to cater to the unmet healthcare needs of all women and children of Delhi. As part of the pilot project 10 such clinics will be launched in different phases based on which 100 more Mahila Mohalla Clinics will be made functional all over Delhi.

*Services that will be provided at Mahila Mohalla Clinics*

In addition to the 239 lab tests and general curative medicines provided in the regular Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics, the Mahila Mohalla Clinics will also provide the following women centric services:

1. Comprehensive screening services for women: Anaemia profile, Cervical cancer screening and screening and treatment for women specific issues including uterine fibroids, menstrual disorders, and other reproductive disorders

2. Comprehensive services for Pregnant Women: Antenatal Check-ups, Identification of high-risk pregnancy, free ultrasound through DAK, free tests including Haemoglobin, Complete blood count, thyroid, VDRL, HIV, Blood sugar and Urine tests and referral to higher centres

3. Comprehensive Services for Family Planning: Family planning counselling for eligible women, basket of contraceptives including condoms, oral contraceptives, injectables and Copper T and referral for male and female Sterilisation. Counselling on gender equality and women empowerment

4. Comprehensive services for Child Health:  Immunisation against TB, Diphtheria, Hepatitis among others, Identification and management of malnourished children, identification of birth defects and developmental disabilities

5. Comprehensive services for Adolescent Health: Anaemia profile, menstrual hygiene management and stress related health issue

*The need for Mahila Mohalla Clinics*

For several decades now, maternal and child malnutrition along with anaemia have been the leading factors for loss of health and lives in India. Low birth weight (LBW) offspring of women suffering from chronic malnutrition and anaemia often exhibit insulin resistance and infantile stunting and wasting, together with increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders in adulthood.

The lack of female physicians and female friendly health establishments restrains women and adolescent girls to avail healthcare services in general.

To bridge this monumental gap, the Delhi Government under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal has launched Mahila Mohalla Clinics in a pilot project to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services to women, children under 12 years of age and adolescent girls in a female friendly environment.

*5 mohalla clinics inaugurated in Rajinder Nagar constituency*

At the same time, 5 mohalla clinics were inaugurated in Rajinder Nagar constituency today. Under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal, local MLA Durgesh Pathak inaugurated these Mohalla Clinics in his constituency. The clinics have been set up at  Pusa, WEA Karol Bagh, 100 Quarters, Naraina Village, Naraina and Pandav Nagar. Earlier there were 4 Mohalla Clinics in the constituency, now the total has been increased to 9, soon 5 more will be opened after which the total will increase to 14.

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