The Delhi government on Monday announced an allocation of Rs 7,704 crore for the health sector in its budget, with approving Rs 2,578 crore for upgrading and expanding 16 hospitals. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday presented the first budget of the AAP government’s second term in the Assembly.

“I propose a budget provision of Rs 7,704 crore for the health sector in 2020-21. This includes a revenue budget of Rs 6,555 crore and a capital budget of Rs 1149 crore,” he said.

The government has also earmarked an amount of Rs 3,952 crore for implementation of various schemes, programmes and projects under the health sector, which is 55 per cent higher than the revised estimate of Rs 2,551 crore for 2019-20, he said.

The budget focused on education and health sectors which Sisosdia termed as important areas of Kejriwal model of governance.

“The second most integral part of Kejriwal model of governance is making available good health services to every resident of Delhi. Providing quality healthcare to every citizen of Delhi through Mohalla Clinic and a hospital with modern facilities is among the 10 guarantees of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,” Sisodia said.

The government will introduce a comprehensive Delhi Health Bill to regulate the quality of health care services, he said.

Sisodia said the government is providing health care services to the residents of Delhi through 451 Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics, 24 polyclinics and 36 multi-specialty/super-specialty hospitals.

From April to December 2019, about 55 lakh citizens have got health facilities through Mohalla clinics, while 2.25 crore patients have been treated through the Delhi government hospitals and polyclinics.

A total of 94 polyclinics are being established by way of upgradation of existing dispensaries, he said.

“The number of Mohalla Clinics will also be increased to 1,000. I propose an outlay of Rs 365 crore for Mohalla Clinic and Polyclinic in 2020-21,” he said.

Stating that the government has started the work of upgrading and expanding hospitals and construction of new hospitals to increase the bed capacity from 10,000 to 26,000, he said an estimated cost of Rs 2,578 crore has been approved for upgrading and expanding the 16 existing hospitals.

“The expansion of hospitals and construction of new hospitals will increase the bed capacity by 16,000. The work of hospitals in Burari and Ambedkar Nagar have been completed and health services will start soon,” he said.

The construction work of the hospital at Dwarka is in advanced stage. A provision of Rs 724 crore has been made in 2020-21 to build new hospitals and upgrade existing government hospitals, as compared to the revised estimates of Rs 195 crore in 2019-20.

The government is providing free treatment, surgery, radiology, diagnostic schemes and medical treatment through the Arogya Kosh in Delhi which will now come under the purview of the ‘Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Yojana’, he said.

“About 1016 surgical packages are included free of cost in this scheme. I make a provision of Rs 125 crore for the ‘Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Yojana’, which includes the provision of Rs 100 crore under Delhi Arogya Kosh,” he said.

Taking another important step in health services, the Delhi government announced the ‘Mukhya Mantri Health Card’ scheme for the people of Delhi.

Under this, health ID cards will be prepared and distributed to all the residents of Delhi. The health ID card will be linked to the hospital information management system in all the health centres of the government.

“A consultant has been appointed for this scheme. An amount of Rs 70 crore is proposed for these schemes in 2020-21,” Sisodia said. The government has approved the Khabri Award Scheme under PC and PNDT Act, 1994 for providing information about non-registered centres/ machines and for sting/ decoy operations.

Under this, there is a system of giving a reward of Rs 50,000 to the informer and Rs 1.50 lakh to the person who becomes a patient for exposing the truth.

Non-radiology laboratory diagnostic facility will be made available through public private partnership, he said, adding that tele-radiology facilities will be further strengthened. An amount of Rs 20 crore is proposed for these schemes in 2020-21, he said.

The Department of Drug Control has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against drug use and strict action is being taken against the offenders, Sisodia said. The department has cancelled the licenses of 32 construction units and 107 sales premises violating the rules set up to December 2019-20, he added.