Delhi: Staff from closed Mohalla Clinics to be transferred to functional ones

Delhi government transfers staff from 31 closed Mohalla Clinics to others amid doctor shortages, raising job security concerns among employees.

The Delhi government has ordered staff from Mohalla Clinics that were directed to be shut on Friday to other functional Mohalla Clinics across the city, people familiar with the matter said.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta launches 34 Ayushman Arogya Maindirs on July 24. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

On Friday, the Delhi health department issued an order to shut down 31 Mohalla Clinics running from porta cabins and rented accommodations across the city due to the “non-availability” of doctors. Another order was issued on Sunday directing the immediate transfer of staff from these clinics to other functional Mohalla Clinics.

The government did not provide clarity on the details of the transfers. The earlier order, seen by HT, issued by Dr Manoj Kumar Gupta, state programme officer, Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic (AAMC) Cell, said: “As per the approval of health and family welfare minister Pankaj Singh, 31 Mohalla Clinics, including 17 porta cabins and 14 rented AAMCs, have been closed with immediate effect.”

The directive sent on Sunday said, “All chief district medical officers (CDMO) are requested to post a message in their respective Mohalla Clinic groups that the staff posted in 31 Mohalla clinics (17 Porta cabins and 14 Rental) which are already non-functional due to non-availability of doctors are shifted to other Mohalla Clinics very soon.”

HT reached out to staff at eight of the affected clinics and found that many were operating without a doctor for several months. While the absence of doctors had rendered the clinics non-functional, there was no indication that permanent closure was imminent nor were the staffers prepared for it.

Speaking to HT, a staffer at one of the now-closed Mohalla Clinics, requesting anonymity, said, “The doctor at our clinic resigned in June. We reported this to our seniors. Usually, when a doctor resigns, a replacement is sent within a few days. So we assumed the same would happen. But this time, we suddenly found out that our clinic is being permanently shut.” She added, “Right now, we have no information about where or when we will be transferred.”

A staffer at another shut clinic said, “Earlier, the Delhi government had clearly said that no Mohalla Clinic staff would be removed. But what’s happening now is something else entirely. At this point, we just want clear communication from the officials so that we know where we stand. If we’re out of a job, tell us directly so we can start searching for work.”

Jitender, president of the Mohalla Clinic staff Union, alleged that the government’s move to shut clinics operating out of rented accommodations is part of a larger plan to eventually dismantle the Mohalla Clinic model.

“In June, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta assured us that no staff would lose their jobs, even amid concerns that the system was being overhauled and that thousands of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and MTS workers could be removed. But these were just words meant to mislead the staff,” he said.

During a press interaction in June, chief minister Gupta had said, “There is no reason to worry. No one will lose their job. In fact, the existing staff will be prioritised in the new system.”

Last month, the Mohalla Clinic staffers had approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) seeking permanent absorption of mohalla clinic staff into the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in a directive (seen by HT) on August 21 asked the Delhi government not to dismiss nearly 1,000 contractual employees hired under the AAMC before March 31, 2026. According to the order, a two-week notice is required if any such employee’s services are to be terminated before that date.

The tribunal also asked the Delhi government to file a detailed affidavit on the issue of regularising these contractual staff members.

The government did not respond to requests for a comment on the status of these employees or their future.