26 mohalla clinic staffers fudge attendance in Delhi, fired

New Delhi, September 20

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday said seven doctors and 19 staffers posted at seven mohalla clinics have been removed from service after it was found that they attempted to manipulate the electronic attendance system.

Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said there were complaints about doctors coming late to Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics.

Mohalla clinics are one of the flagship initiatives of the Arvind Kejriwal government to boost the primary healthcare system in Delhi. A typical mohalla clinic has a doctor, a midwife-cum-nurse and other ancillary staff, and an array of diagnostic services and essential medicines are provided free of cost to patients who come there.

“The staff (at mohalla clinics) are supposed to be available from 8 am to 2 pm. We got the attendance records checked … It was found that the electronic attendance system was being manipulated,” Bharadwaj told reporters.

The Delhi minister said some of the staff would come late but the system “showed” that they had arrived by 8 am.

“Irregularities were found (in our probe) at seven Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics — five in the Southwest district, one in the Northeast district and another in Shahdara district. In all, 26 staffers, including seven doctors, have been de-empanelled,” he said.

A total of 533 Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics are functional in Delhi.