The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest in Delhi on Thursday against the alleged closure of mohalla clinics by the Delhi government. Led by AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar, party workers gathered outside a mohalla clinic in Vinod Nagar, East Delhi, to raise their concerns about shutting down local healthcare centres that serve thousands of residents daily.
AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj called the government a “disaster for Delhiites,” while Kumar accused the BJP-led administration of being anti-poor and trying to hand over public hospitals to private players. According to AAP, over 200 mohalla clinics have been closed, affecting patients who rely on them for basic health services.
The protest highlighted the importance of accessible healthcare at the neighbourhood level. Mohalla clinics are designed to provide free or affordable medical services, including treatment for common illnesses, check-ups, and medicines. The closures have caused concern among local residents, many of whom visit these clinics daily.
AAP leaders argued that shutting down these clinics could weaken Delhi’s public healthcare system and make essential health services less accessible, especially for low-income communities. They demanded that the government reopen the closed clinics and ensure that healthcare remains free and available to all residents.
The protest also drew attention to the larger issue of public healthcare funding and maintenance. Critics of the government say that regular monitoring, sufficient staffing, and proper funding are necessary to keep mohalla clinics functional. They argue that instead of improving these neighbourhood clinics, closing them could push residents to seek more expensive private healthcare, which many cannot afford.
Many local residents expressed frustration at losing easy access to healthcare. For elderly people, pregnant women, and those with chronic illnesses, the closure of these clinics means travelling longer distances to reach government hospitals. This not only increases their costs but also creates unnecessary delays in treatment, which could worsen health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
This protest reflects ongoing political tensions in Delhi, with healthcare access becoming a major issue between the ruling BJP and the opposition AAP. For now, local communities and patients continue to voice their concerns about the sudden disruptions to their healthcare access, hoping that the government will take immediate steps to reopen the clinics.
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