What good is the infra if not used: HC on mohalla clinics

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday suggested utilising mohalla clinics, which were set up by the Delhi government, during the raging crisis. “If you have created this infrastructure, what is the real worth of it? What good is it if it can’t be used in this pandemic?” justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli remarked.

The bench stated that a mohalla clinic could be shifted to a nearby government school in these times with required medical staff and doctors as all schools were shut because of the pandemic.

Delhi government’s senior advocate Rahul Mehra said he would respond with the relevant information on this aspect on Wednesday.

“How can your mohalla clinics be of use?” inquired the bench.

Mehra responded submitting that most mohalla clinics had single point of entry and exit besides the fact that due to the lack of space inside, social distancing norms couldn’t be ensured there. “Probability of infection is high. There is no waiting area and there is one doctor and a nurse. It is primarily looking into 257 other tests.”

Additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma pointed out that the pandemic had been raging for a year now and a mohalla clinic could be the perfect place for dissemination of Covid-related information. “They are the foundation of the triage. A valuable resource,” said Sharma.

Mehra, however, pointed out that for Covid, mohalla clinics wouldn’t be of use at all. “It is like a 20-feet container. There are two small rooms. One or two people from the mohalla or the locality come. That’s the very nature. It is meant for that particular community of 1,000 people in the locality,” he said.

Mehra also stated that in case mohalla clinics are used for dissemination and if they become super-spreaders, then the Centre should take responsibility. “We don’t want numbers to go up.”