370 Arogya Mandirs opened: Delhi CM; Mohalla Clinics renamed, says AAP

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday inaugurated 51 new Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs), taking the total number of such clinics started by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since it came to power a year ago to 370.

Ms. Gupta said her government views health care not as an expense, but as an investment. “Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are not merely treatment centres; they are hubs of prevention, awareness and trust. When the intent is clear and the resolve is strong, results follow swiftly. Setting up 370 Arogya Mandirs within a year reflects our commitment,” she said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government aims to set up 1,100 AAMs by the end of this year.

The development triggered a war of words, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attacking the BJP government for “rebranding” the Mohalla Clinics launched during its tenure as AAMs to claim credit for introducing these medical facilities in Delhi, and the Congress taking on AAP for having indulged in a similar exercise — rebranding existing government dispensaries as Mohalla Clinics — and blaming both for the city’s “poor” healthcare infrastructure.

Some AAMs, which offer free primary healthcare services, are revamped Mohalla Clinics while many others are in the process of being rebranded. There are 553 Mohalla Clinics, of which Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said 250 would be closed; many have already been shut down. The remaining ones are still operating under the same name but without the posters and banners of AAP and its chief, Arvind Kejriwal.

‘Timely care’

Inaugurating the AAMs at an event in south Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri village, the CM said her government’s priority is to ensure that every citizen has access to timely, affordable and easily available health care. Later in the day, she launched development projects worth ₹322 crore in the Chhattarpur Assembly constituency.

Ms. Gupta also inaugurated the ‘Khelo Delhi- Delhi Khel Mahakumbh’ at the Chhatrasal Stadium. The event will run for a month across 17 stadiums and sports complexes in the city, and competitions will be held in seven major disciplines: athletics, football, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, kabaddi, and squash.

Ms. Gupta said the establishment of AAMs has brought a significant transformation in the healthcare system and that these centres offer not just curative services but also focus on preventive and promotive healthcare.

Highlighting the facilities available at these centres, the CM said residents can now access comprehensive, modern healthcare services in their own neighbourhoods. Each centre offers around 80 types of free diagnostic tests, essential medicines at no cost, advanced diagnostic services and cancer screening.

‘False claims’

Meanwhile, AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Ms. Gupta and other BJP leaders of making false claims.

“People of Delhi know that most of the Arogya Mandirs are functioning within already existing health facilities, and in many of those, the same employees — pharmacists and doctors who were previously posted in dispensaries — continue to work,” he said.

Hitting back, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that during its 11 years in power, the Kejriwal government had completely disrupted government-run dispensaries to run Mohalla Clinics.

“In contrast, upgrading these dispensaries by linking them with the Central government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme and making 51 Arogya Mandirs operational within a year is a major achievement of the BJP government,” said Mr. Sachdeva.

He added, “Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are equipped with treatment facilities for all kinds of illnesses along with all basic health check-up services, whereas Mohalla Clinics were limited to treating only coughs and colds and, in reality, became centres of X-ray and pathology lab referral scams.”