Delhi Assembly panel pulls up officials over non-payment of salaries to doctors, nurses of mohalla clinics

New Delhi:

The Delhi Assembly's committee on petitions pulled up senior officers for blocking salaries of some doctors and nursing staff of mohalla clinics and stopping medical tests at these healthcare facilities. AAP MLA and committee member Saurabh Bharadwaj said they found that Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Singla had not visited a single mohalla clinic. He was directed to henceforth visit at least three mohalla clinics on a daily basis.

Bharadwaj also rued the fact that due to the stoppage of tests at mohalla clinics, people were unable to get their tests conducted and some could not avail the health benefits and medicines that should have been provided to them.

"It is unfortunate to see that government officials who hold such senior positions are so unsympathetic in such a situation," he added.

He said they had received a petition over the issue of non-payment of salaries to some doctors and nursing staff of mohalla clinics. Senior officials were summoned on Tuesday and asked to submit relevant documents, he said, adding a decision will be taken subsequently.

"For the past three months, some doctors and other nursing staff of the mohalla clinics in Delhi had not been receiving their salaries timely. This was the case for the months of September, October and November. Several medical tests that usually are conducted for patients at the mohalla clinics have also not been happening now as the private partners in whose labs the test samples are to be analysed have also not received their funding," he said.

Principal Secretary (Finance) Ashish Chandra Verma and Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Singla attended the committee meeting.

Bharadwaj said that during the meeting, the committee was informed that the file was sent by the health department to the finance department to make available the grant to pay the salaries.

"But the finance department asked for some documents before disbursing the salaries, and these had never been asked for before. They asked for certain Cabinet decisions and other amendments in the government documents," he said.

The senior leader said that the committee members believe that this was done with the deliberate intention to delay the salaries of these doctors and nursing staff.

He also said that they learnt that the health department had an unspent amount of Rs 70 crore with it, and while only Rs 13 crore was required to provide the salaries of their staff members, they decided to not use this money.

"We also found out that the Principal Secretary (Finance) had put certain conditions on the health department due to which they were not allowed to use this unspent money of theirs," he said.

The AAP MLA said the committee was "extremely unhappy" with the action of Verma as it led to tests at mohalla clinics not being conducted and the people of Delhi have suffered due to his actions.

Singla has been ordered by the committee to henceforth visit at least three mohalla clinics on a daily basis and take stock of things and make suggestions to improve the facility that is being provided to the residents of Delhi, he said.

Bharadwaj said the committee on petitions has so far not taken a decision regarding the matter as it required certain documents from the officials.

"...it is extremely unfortunate that because of the movement of files between two departments, it is the people of Delhi who have had to suffer. But once the committee goes through the documents that it has asked for, a decision on this matter will be taken by the Vidhan Sabha," he said. PTI SLB SMN