New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her Cabinet are set to inaugurate 33 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs on Saturday, marking a major step towards strengthening the National Capital’s primary healthcare infrastructure.

Of the 33 centres, Gupta will personally inaugurate one and unveil six more virtually. The remaining centres will be inaugurated physically by six Cabinet ministers, each assigned to their respective constituencies.

On the same day, Gupta will also inaugurate Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras across 15 state-run hospitals in Delhi to enhance accessibility to affordable generic medicines for the public.

According to the health department, all 33 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs — comprising 29 primary health centres and four sub-centres — have already been made operational.

These centres are managed by various government agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the Delhi Health Department.

The six Cabinet ministers attending the physical inaugurations are Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Home and Education Minister Ashish Sood, Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh, and Culture and Arts Minister Kapil Mishra.

These newly-established centres aim to provide a broad spectrum of healthcare services, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care.

The services offered will go beyond those available at the existing Mohalla Clinics, with an added focus on cancer screening, immunisation, and family planning.

While the installation of NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) machines for tuberculosis (TB) testing is still underway, the centres will continue TB screening through alternative methods.

Unlike other states that deploy community health officers, Delhi has opted to post MBBS doctors at these facilities to ensure better medical oversight.

Officials confirmed that the centres are in line with the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) 2022 guidelines tailored for urban areas.

These standards mandate specific requirements for infrastructure, human resources, and the availability of essential medicines, diagnostic equipment, and basic health services.

The Delhi government has identified 964 locations across the city for setting up Ayushman Arogya Mandir sub-centres under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission over the next nine months.

Of these, 255 new permanent health centres will replace existing Mohalla Clinics that are currently run from temporary set-ups. Equipment and medicines from the existing clinics will be transferred to the new centres.

The remaining identified sites include 655 locations owned by various government departments and public sector undertakings, 47 previously existing sub-centres managed by municipal bodies, and seven already functional sub-centres that will be upgraded in the first phase of the rollout.

Emphasising the role of Jan Aushadhi Kendras in reducing the out-of-pocket expenditure for patients, officials noted that these centres offer generic medicines at significantly lower prices compared to branded alternatives.

–IANS

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