New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta and her cabinet ministers are set to inaugurate 33 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs on June 14. While she will inaugurate seven centres — one physically and six virtually — six cabinet ministers have been deputed for physical inaugurations in their respective constituencies.Gupta will also inaugurate Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras across 15 state-run hospitals on the same day so that patients can have easy access to inexpensive medicines.According to officials in the health department, all 33 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, including four sub-centres and twenty-nine primary health centres managed by various agencies, including MCD, NDMC, DDA, and the health department, are operational and scheduled for formal inauguration on Saturday. More Ayushman Arogya Mandirs may become operational by the end of the week, they said.The six cabinet ministers who will attend the physical inaugurations include Pankaj Kumar Singh (health minister), Parvesh Verma (PWD), Ashish Sood (home and education), Manjinder Singh Sirsa (environment), Ravinder Indraj Singh (social welfare) and Kapil Mishra (culture and arts).Both primary health centres and sub-centres will provide comprehensive facilities encompassing preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care services. These new centres will offer expanded services beyond mohalla clinics, including cancer screening, immunisation and family planning. However, the installation of NAAT machines for TB testing is still in progress, and screening for TB will be continued at the centres. Unlike other states that employ community health officers, Delhi has posted MBBS doctors at these centres.Officials stated that the centres complied with the Indian Public Health Standards-2022 guidelines established for urban areas. These standards outline requirements for infrastructure, staffing, medicines, diagnostic equipment and essential health services.Delhi govt has identified 964 locations for establishing Ayushman Arogya Mandir sub-centres under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission initiative over the next nine months.Of these, 255 new permanent facilities will replace the current mohalla clinics operating in temporary structures, with equipment and medicines being transferred. The remaining sites include 655 owned by various govt bodies or PSUs; 47 pre-existing municipal corporation sub-centres; and seven functional sub-centres to be converted into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and opened in Phase I.Officials said that patients could purchase generic medicines from Jan Aushadhi Kendras, offering a cheaper alternative to costly branded medicines available at pharmacies around hospitals. In emergencies, when a specific medicine is unavailable at a health facility, hospital administrations may procure it from the Jan Aushadhi Kendra instead of relying on local purchases, unless necessary.
