A dream that got fulfilled

Post- Film discussion of the movie, 45 years, organised by Indian Express Film Club at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

As a kid, I was fascinated by the children of the celebrities. I always wondered how the environment of exposure and insights in which they were brought up shapes them so that they successfully carry forward the legacy. I longed to meet them but no celebrity ever came in my mind whom I would like to know personally.  

I was in second year of college, graduating as an IT Engineer, when I came across ‘The Big Picture’ coincidentally. I could not switch the channel for the next 30 minutes. After that, it became a ritual to sit in front of TV at 6:30 pm and watch the show. One day, it clicked me to be a journalist like Girish Nikam Sir and I decided to pursue Journalism against the wish of my parents. When I came to Delhi for my PG Diploma in Print Journalism at IIMC, there was a desire that kept wandering in my mind to meet Girish Sir. Luckily, my Professor, Mr. Amit Sengupta, was his friend and when he got to know that I am a great fan of Sir, he promised me that he will arrange our meeting. Soon after, Girish Sir suffered a cardiac arrest in US. The first thing that I prayed to God was - He can't leave without meeting me. Fortunately, he fought back his illness and came back, all hale and hearty. I met him much later but it changed my life making it better. In those dozens of meeting with him, he made me aware of ground realities and gave tips that will help me life long in my profession.

Friends on Facebook

A moment that gave me immense happiness

Friendship with him started on Facebook. For quite a long time, I was his follower on Facebook. Had conversation with him twice or thrice through Facebook comments on his posts after which he accepted my Friend Request. I nearly jumped upon seeing this notification, took a screenshot straight away. Blessed Mark Zuckerberg for initiating such a platform.

Much later, got to know that he received a lot of Friend requests every day along with message requests appreciating his work. Very few of them were accepted as friends, rest would follow him happily. 

So when I discovered that I was the lucky one, I asked him, "Hey! Why did you accept my Request? I didn't give you any message Request?" He replied in his style, "You didn't send any message request that's why I accepted your Request."

First meet

At an ice-cream parlour in Jaipur

When every way of meeting him failed, Facebook came to the rescue yet again. He updated his Facebook status as travelling to Jaipur, I quickly commented 'Where in Jaipur?' He messaged me the address shortly. I couldn't sleep the whole night thinking about meeting him. I just prayed the plan doesn't get cancelled. 

In the morning, I called him. He asked me to come at the Officers' Quarters at 11. I reached there at the scheduled time. He asked me to take him to the main market of Jaipur, Johari Bazar. We were roaming around the city on foot in the scorching heat that I have never done before but I was actually enjoying it. He got into the heart of the narrow lanes and talked to people on street. To my surprise, everybody responded him with equal attention. 

While I stood near him watching him getting familiar with a totally unknown surrounding, I was thinking if I will ever have that amount of curiosity in me. It was almost evening till we wrap up the sight seeing. The meeting was fun and better than what I had expected. 

He took this selfie making me feel like a celeb

I was happy that my wish of meeting him once materialised. Days passed, he messaged me, 'where the hell have you disappeared?' I didn't message him for all these days as I was not sure if he would like to continue the friendship. But his message made me extremely happy. I replied him exactly the same I was thinking. He smiled and said, "You have shown me Jaipur, now it's my turn to show you Delhi." 

Fan to Friend

It was so easy to talk to him regarding any damn thing. I asked him everything that came to my mind and he answered patiently. 

Once, while we were roaming around Baba Kharak Singh Marg in CP, I noticed the poor people on the footpath. I asked him, "It must be very difficult for them to live on roads. I wonder how they make out here in the presence of so many family members." He answered, "It's a five minutes thing for them. There is no foreplay. Haven't you seen Bhaag Milkha Bhaag? By the way, you should see these women fighting. They would abuse each other in the worst possible manner and the issue would be invariably one of them getting involved with other's husband." 

Another instance - Me: "Hey! What happens when one doesn't get to marry the person they want to?" 

He: "who said you get to marry the person you want to. I, myself, was not able to marry the girl I wanted to but I got a better option after that. Life will give you options. Don't worry." 

I don't know what was the magic in his words but I happily followed them as the final order. 

Run after your curiosity

He captured every interesting thing he came across

He had this habit of knowing every new thing he came across. He would talk to the local people, gather information about it, click its picture and share it on Facebook (As his duty) so that people can know about it.

He did this so perfectly that I felt like copying him. After my first meeting with him, I made it a habit to capture interesting things that came in my way. 

Helped me catch up with an interesting picture

Once, while he was dropping me to the metro station, we came across these women (in the picture) travelling on the cart. I wanted to click them but got a little late in taking out my phone. We overtook them. I was a bit sad. He said," You can't afford to be late. You don't get so much time. You need to be quick." He decelerated the car and I was able to capture the women on cart.

Noticed this gentleman during a dinner with Sir at Biryani Paradise

The other day, we discovered this place called Biryani Paradise in Connaught Place. As we entered, noticed this old man playing violin. 

Me: "Such an old man. This is amazing."

He: "Amazing? Go and talk to him. Find out about him. This is an interesting story."

I did what he said. But this man called Swapan Seth who plays violin in restaurants/hotels to gather money for his wife's cancer treatment was already covered by media. 

Counselling

Probably, his father's handicraft shop

He frequently asked me how my job was progressing. I was not satisfied with the work I was supposed to do there. Most of the Freshers don't get the desired opportunities. The struggle to get that one chance either make them compromise on their desires or follow the monotonous policy of the organisation. At times, I wanted to leave but he would explain struggle is a part of the profession. To which once I told him, "You get the chance of covering the current issue, talking to the experts, top politicians and senior journalists everyday. That's why you are saying this. You can't understand what I am going through." 

He politely explained me how difficult the beginning of the career was for him. After passing out from TISS, it took him three years to start with Journalism. He even escaped from home (in Mysore) leaving a letter behind for the parents not to worry about him. Sat in some random bus where one of his friends recognised him and offered him to work in a NGO. The same person created some very big controversy due to which media covered the issue. During that time, he made a friend, Sachidananda Murthy, from Indian Express. He came back to his place after that incident, the Editor of Star of Mysore offered him the job. Within few Days, he started doing marvellous work. Pages were covered with his stories. The journalists of his time would be jealous of his work. He was talked about everywhere. His friend, Sachidananda, recognised that he was the same person he met during the controversy and informed him about the vacancy in the Indian Express. 

When he wanted to leave, the Editor of Star of Mysore was completely shattered. He even asked him to double his salary but then eventually let him follow his dreams. 

Busy tweeting his show after recording

He warned me never to think of even leaving Delhi and begin the career in Jaipur as it will be very difficult to come back again. He, himself, had to wait for years to come back to Delhi. 

Mentoring

I was not ready to understand what he said and quit my job (torture). He called me in his office and asked me to meet one of his friends who would help me figure out my career. I denied meeting anyone that time, instead, asked him to train me to work as a freelance reporter. He readily agreed. 

He assigned me the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics. He wanted me to find out how these clinics were operating and what was the public view. Whenever I would stuck during reporting, I would ask him and he was available 24*7 minus 30 minutes of his recording. 

Once, while I was clicking the picture at the clinic, the doctor started shouting for clicking pictures in a public hospital without any permission. He wanted me to delete all the pictures from my phone. I got scared a bit and quickly contacted him. He said, "Have you clicked few pictures?" I told him I am done. He, then, asked me to move out without arguing with the Doctor. 

He liked the story done by me even if it wasn't published anywhere. He shared it on Facebook and it got a good appreciation.

My work getting his worthy share

My second story with him was on Hingonia Gaushala in Jaipur. I went to the Gaushala and spoke to the workers there who told me that they were not paid for months due to which they went on strike and since there was no one to look after the cows for 15 days, they died in large numbers. After hearing it, I was so excited that I called him saying Hey! I have got a story and told him what the workers said. He replied, "Good! But what if they are lying to you?"

Why will they lie to me, I thought. 

"As a journalist, it is your duty to check your facts ten thousand times. Talk to their contractor and find out the issue. Go and seek answers from JDA commissioner after that."

JDA commissioner??? How will I meet him and ask questions? Oh! God! 

The contractor told me that JDA hasn't paid them yet and that's why the workers salary is on hold. The commissioner went out of the Gaushala just a minute before I reached his office. 

I called sir again, he advised me to ask the drivers sitting in the parking if they know about his returning. 

I did the same. The drivers told that if he would come today then it would be around 5 pm else he won't. They asked me to wait till 5. I was sitting there for almost 4 hours waiting for the commissioner, he turned up at 5. I spoke to him and got his quote with due credit to Sir's advise. 

Sole appreciator of my assignments

He would send me to different Press Conferences and ask to meet people, make contacts and write about it. 

Worried as a responsible mentor

Whenever it would be late reaching my place after reporting, he would make sure that I have reached safe.

A live debate

 A Debate that would have been incomplete without his points

We would ritually go together for watching movies at the India Habitat Centre organised by Indian Express Film Club. It was the screening of the movie 45 years, when I got to see his fearless debating quality. 

The movie was about the couple who were about to celebrate 45 years of their wedding life but just a week before their anniversary, the wife gets to know about her husband's love with a girl who unfortunately died in an accident (all before the couple's marriage). The husband didn't tell his wife about having a woman in his life before her which made her feel cheated. 

As soon as the post-film discussion began, the women present in the auditorium spoke against the man calling him a cheater. Even the men, supported the argument. Looking at the one-sidedness of the debate, Girish Sir spoke, "If the girl a guy loves dies, then what is the guy supposed to do? He was afraid of losing his wife after telling about his love (before marriage) who no more exists. First, the girls want to know about the other girl in their husband's life. When told, they can't get over the fact that their partner loved someone." 

Soon after he made his point, viewers supported him for his valid point. 

Oh! My God! you are so tall

Made me feel like a Giraffe every time 

Whenever we would walk together, he would be like, "Oh! My God! You are so tall!" 

Me : "I am just few inches taller than you but you always make me feel like a giraffe." 

Then we both would laugh aloud. 

Moments of fun

Lunch garnished with interesting tales from him

We tried a lot of restaurants and hotels in Delhi. Sitting there, we would notice couples fighting, loving, taking selfies and checking out others and it would turn out to be fun. Once, it was my treat but the waiter handed over the bill to him. He got furious over it and said these prejudiced people never give the bill to females. 

We were watching a movie. In it, the wife calls her husband, 'Raju ke Papa', every time. Sir said, "I wonder what she called him when Raju was not born?" 

A shopaholic

Shopping was his second love. I guess, he had shirts and jackets of almost all shades. To my surprise, he was also a fan of Sarojini Nagar market just like me. 

Fruits, a regular item in his lunch box

He was fond of eating fruits and brought them daily to the office along with his tiffin. Whenever I would go and meet him in his office, he would offer them to me. 

Dinner, after a long session of Rum

Rum at night before dinner was a must for him. No matter how much you argue about the disadvantages of drinking it, he would counter all the arguments with his points. 

No bad words for his drink

Once, I told him that I dreamt that we both were travelling from CP to Greater Noida and the auto wala charged us only Rs. 40/-. 

He started laughing and said, "You Marwari Kanjoos! Think of saving money even in your dreams."

Last Meet 

With Max, a lovely Persian cat of his locality 

A day before he passed away, I was there with him. He messaged me on Saturday, What I was doing that weekend. If I was free then he wanted me to meet him.

I went to his place. We talked for a long time, watched movie and went around Greater Noida. We were watching Dev D and its famous song, 'Emotional Atyachar' came. We both were like Oh! This is Nawazuddin! He was amused with the lyrics and started imitating the singer by singing it through his nose. 

The next day, we went for morning walk where he posed in different styles. 

Posing with and without cap

One of his maids name was Sheela. So, while he was instructing her regarding some work, this song, 'My name is Sheela. Sheela ki jawani' came out of my mouth involuntarily. To which he responded that he also sings this song many times because of her name.

A lady who passed him every day during his morning walk

He told me that this lady crossed him every day during his morning walk. She would be there at the same time irrespective of the weather. She would drape the saree in unique way covering her head. 

Females of his locality

Females of his locality who readily posed for me.

This man exercised rigorously every day, he said

I had already captured this man when he told me that he exercises rigorously every day at the same point in the park. 

After the morning walk, we went back home. He made coffee for himself and boiled milk for me. That was a very emotional moment for me. I never thought that my favourite journalist would ever do that for me. Knowing him was the best thing that happened to me in my life. 

Last sight

Wish he could get up again

The next day when I heard that he passed away, I was deeply shocked. In all these meetings, I not even once thought that he could die. He was full of life so it was hard to believe his departure.

We did discuss death. He was not afraid of his death. Instead he said his friends would ask him not to post the memories of his heart attack in US. My view was that the one who dies has no problem but the people who loves them find it difficult to live in their absence. He believed life doesn't work on emotions. It is not affected by death. 

But when I saw him lying dead, I understood the meaning of 'body' and 'soul'. It is the soul that matters not the body. 

He is no more but I know his spirit would guide me in life. 

The untold story of Hingonia Gaushala

Cows at the accidental ward of the Hingonia Gaushala

Yesterday, I went to Hingonia Gaushala located in Jaipur to find out what was happening there. As I reached there, I saw that the main gate was closed and guarded by the police to stop the agitated crowd. A woman named Lata Sharma associated with Lal Shakti Sangathan was sitting on hunger strike right in front of the Gaushala. She was surrounded by media who wanted to take her byte. Nobody except the officials and media were allowed to enter the premises. There were a lot of people inside, perhaps, mostly from media (quite obvious after looking at the number of OB vans) to cover the Aam Aadmi Party members who were protesting there. I had no clue how and where to start from but I kept walking confidently. The road was full of cows performing different activities - running, fighting, walking, sitting, shitting and standing. There was little space to walk on the road so I got into a lane which had few cows. I noticed some workers standing nearby. I walked towards them and enquired about the issue. As they began to speak, some women workers also joined.

Women workers at work

These contractual workers told me that they were not paid the salary of the month of May due to which they went on strike on 21^st July. The police lathi charged on women workers, arrested some workers and even registered a case against them. The strike was called off on 6^th August but their salary is still not paid. The unavailability of the labor for 15 days further degraded the situation of the already dysfunctional Gaushala. During the strike, the pens were not cleaned of the cow dung and a new layer of mud was laid on it by the new workers (approximately 50) who were appointed in place of them. As it rained, a marshland was created and cows in large number died after slipping in it. The local people told that normally about 50 cows die every day in the Gaushala. Due to the strike, the number got doubled and highlighted the mismanagement in Hingonia Gaushala. The workers also complained that they are paid Rs.189/- per day which is not adequate to serve their family. No medical facility is provided to them in case of any injury made by the cows. Neither any holiday nor the facility of PF and ESI is provided. There is no toilet facility available for the female workers in the Gaushala. Above all, their salary is not paid in time. The poor working conditions have undoubtedly created discontent among the workers. 

Aggrieved workers

On enquiring the contractor appointed for the months (March-April-May), Nasim Qureshi, I found that he submitted the bill of Rs.12 crores required to pay the salaries of the workers (Gaushala, sweepers, etc) to the Nagar Nigam but was paid only 95 lakhs as on 8^th August. In fact, he received the work order for above stated months 25 days back. The contractor for the month of June and July, Vikram Chaudhary, submitted the bill of Rs. 20 lakhs on 25^th July, not paid by the Nagar Nigam till date. He distributed the salary for the month of June to the Gaushala workers on 3^rd July. Hemant Kumar Gera, Commissioner, Nagar Nigam, refused to speak on the matter while Rakesh Sharma, Additional Commissioner, told “The Government of Rajasthan has not sanctioned the bills of the contractors citing some issues due to which payment is not made. Meanwhile, arrangements will be made to pay the salaries of the workers.” The Financial Advisor is on leave. Harinder Singh, in-charge of the Gaushala held the Contractors responsible for difficulty in the payment.

Certainly, the poor workers are suffering due to the tardy working of the Nagar Nigam.

Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic: A paradigm shift in India's healthcare system

Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic, Zakir Nagar

Last week, when I took my roommate suffering from high fever to a Doctor in a nearby private clinic in Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi, he charged Rs. 800 just to write paracetamol as prescription. She had to pay Rs.1500 for the blood test. The cost of the whole treatment of viral fever was around Rs. 3000. While, she can afford to pay this amount, there are many who try to avoid going to a doctor until things become very serious. Treatment of a single member suffering from a life threatening disease causes a big hole in family budget. In our country where the private hospitals/clinics are slammed for charging extremely high and the government hospitals for their lethargic service, the common man is left with no option. One can only pray to die without any ailment.

I heard about Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinics few days back and I was curious to visit there and check how this new healthcare initiative is working. Before I get into the details of the clinics that I visited, here is a quick analysis of the concept of Mohalla clinic:-

What is Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic?
Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic is a pilot project of Aam Aadmi Party to make primary healthcare more accessible to people. More than 100 Mohalla clinics are opened across the length and breadth of Delhi. The locations for the clinics are purposely chosen to cater the poor and downtrodden. Medication and tests are done free of cost. The timings of the clinics are between 9 am to 1 pm from Monday to Saturday. The project is based on PPP model which involves the PWD (Public Works Department), WISH (Wadhwani Initiative for Sustainable Healthcare) Foundation for technical assistance and other private players whose tenders get selected.

How does a Mohalla clinic work?
The staff in a Mohalla clinic includes a Doctor appointed by the CDMO (Chief District Medical Officer), an ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) , a pathologist and a multi-tasker. As the clinic opens, the patients seek token from the ANM on First Come First Serve basis. Then the Doctor calls them serially. The Doctors are required to record the patients' details in a register as well as in an app provided to them. The details include - picture, name, age, gender, address, mobile no. , symptoms, diagnosis, prescription, provisional diagnosis and reference. 

The picture below depicts the home page of the app where the facility to register a new patient, patient's history (follow up), attendance of the staff, inventory (medicine stock), patient's list of the day, lab record and account is provided. As soon as the doctor enters the medicine in the prescription field of the app, the medicine count in the inventory decreases. This maintains the medicine stock in the clinic. The Doctors are required to sync the day's patient list with the server at the end of the day i.e. 1 pm after tallying it with the entries made in the register. The procedure is mandatory as the doctors, pathologist and multi-tasker are paid according to the number of patients they serve.

What is the salary of the staff?
The Doctor is paid Rs. 30 per patient, the pathologist is paid Rs. 8 per patient, the multi tasker Rs. 2 per patient while the ANM is paid a fixed salary. She is supposed to reach the clinic by 8 am and leave by 2pm. There is one ANM over every 10,000 people and under her works five ASHA workers. 

What is the average number of patients visiting the clinic everyday?
An average of 100 patients visit each Mohalla clinic everyday including senior citizens, kids, teenagers and middle-aged people. The number was 20 initially then increased to 70 and now it has reached 100. The number is bound to double in coming months. 

What are the demographics of the patients?
The patients are largely poor labour class people from immediate neighbour of the clinics. As the clinics are located deep inside the congested lanes without any sign board anywhere except on the building where it exist, therefore, the people knowing about these clinics are utterly few. It is only the word of mouth which is increasing the number of patients day by day. Many patients who come from far flung areas are mostly relatives and friends of the people living around the clinic. 

What is the limit of a Mohalla clinic?
Mohalla clinic is aimed at providing primary healthcare. Therefore, there are many diseases which the clinics are not equipped to deal with like the facility of ultrasound, X-ray, Pregnancy test (in some clinics), etc. The patient in such cases are referred to polyclinics or nearby government hospitals.

I had no idea about the location of these Mohalla clinics. I searched it on the Internet but couldn't find any address. I asked my hostel's security guard and mess workers, but they were clueless. In fact, their reaction to this term was worth capturing. Then, I read a few articles written so far on Mohalla clinics and found the mention of the area of these clinics. With the exact address still not available, I decided to ask the locals once reaching that area.

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Munirka 

The first Mohalla clinic I visited was in Munirka. I reached Munirka Bus stop and asked a vegetable vendor about Mohalla clinic. Even he was also not aware about the term. Then, I elaborated stating the name of Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal and free medicines. He directed me to a narrow lane beside him. It was dark due to converging buildings on either sides of the road, leaving little space for illumination. Although, it was luckily dry due to the sunny weather that day. I was consulting from every passer-by so that I could find at least one person who knew the place. I found a woman who was a regular visitor of the Mohalla clinic and knew it by name. She accompanied me till the gate of the Mohalla clinic. Meanwhile, I discussed about the clinic with her. She was satisfied with the medication. There was a big board on the clinic's roof bearing pictures of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain. Well, looking at the board, one might wonder whether it is a clinic or a party office. I opened the filmed glass door and to my surprise there was no place to walk to the doctor. I somehow managed to reach there. The room was well furnished and air conditioned (probably the reason why I was not feeling suffocated in the crowd). The Doctor, Shoebul Haque and his team were cooperative. An average of 100 patients visit the clinic everyday and about 20 blood tests are done. I talked to a few patients there--

Dhupcharan, 22, who migrated from Madhya Pradesh two years back, works at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. He lives in Vasant Vihar Jhuggi with his family. Last week, he discovered difficulty in breathing, high fever and tight stool. He got himself checked in Swastic Clinic, a private clinic which recommended a blood test which cost him Rs. 470/-. He bought the prescribed medicines for three days at Rs. 236/-. Today, he has come to consult the doctor at the Munirka Mohalla clinic with the hope to get the same expensive medicines prescribed by the private hospital free of cost. He was given a paracetamol, ORS satchet and a medicine along with a cough syrup. He was not satisfied with the given medicines as they are different from the one prescribed by the private clinic. Dhupcharan came walking to the clinic along with his father Lakhan, 45.

Shweta, 26, a resident of Munirka migrated from Bihar 10 years back. She is now married and has three kids of age five, four and two. Five days back, she came to the Munirka Mohalla clinic to get herself and her eldest kid treated for fever. The medicine had resulted in pain, itching and allergy on their hands. Today, the doctor at the clinic has asked her to get the urine test done and show the reports next day.

Mohani, 67, lives in RK Puram. She is facing persistent stomach ache since last few days. The doctor at the Mohalla clinic has referred her to a government hospital to get ultrasound test done as the clinic lacks the facility. She is afraid of what will happen next. 

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, west Patel Nagar, Patparganj

While I was standing in the queue like other patients, a middle-aged woman suddenly  came pushing everyone to get inside the doctor's room. The patients standing in the queue started shouting at her for breaking the line. She responded that she was standing there but went back to her home because she had forgotten the files. A heated argument started between the people waiting in the queue and her as it is not allowed to break the queue. The deadlock ended after Dr. Ranjana Saxena, the in-charge of this Mohalla clinic intervened to allow her to get in.

Sharmila Begum, 45, a resident of Vinod Nagar, suffering from Hypo thyroid, was standing in the queue since last 45 minutes for her turn to get the blood test done. She complains about the long duration that a patient has to wait, with an empty stomach, just to get the blood test done. She recommends a separate line for blood tests.

Well, the kids of this generation are blessed to have seen the healthcare facility at their doorstop so early. Sunny,12, lives nearby. He got hurt two days back while playing in the school. Today, he has come to the clinic to know if the wound is healing or not.

Sunita, 26, missed her periods last month, she is afraid of being pregnant. She doesn't want another kid. She came to the clinic with her sister-in-law and a three years old son. But the doctor has referred her to ASHA workers as the pregnancy test and contraception facility is not available at this clinic. Sunita did not understand what the doctors told her and the two ladies walked out with a bad impression of the clinic. 

Parvati, 45, a domestic help in Vinod Nagar colony recently slipped while working which resulted in minor fracture in her legs. The Doctors asked her to get the X-ray done from Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital a few days back. The poor woman went to the hospital alone in a rickshaw which charged Rs 80/- one side. She came to show the reports to the doctor here. The Doctor prescribed her medicines and pain relief gel. Parvati is not able to earn since last week and wants to get back to her work as soon as possible. She feels X-ray machine should be set up in the clinic.

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Dallupura

Against my expectations, Dallupura village has got one Government hospital in Vasundhara, one dispensary and two Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinics. The area has got no roads but two Mohalla clinics. The area seems to be politically active as I saw boards bearing the photos of the members of AAP and BSP all around. Big SUVs with the BSP  stickers passed through those narrow dingy lanes twice while I was walking to reach the clinic. The Mohalla clinic is pretty spacious and the doctor is responsive. The owner of the house where the Mohalla clinic is rented, Virender Singh, works as a multi-tasker in the clinic. The clinic mostly works till 3 pm. The average number of patients visiting the clinic are 100. The patients are largely satisfied with the doctors and their medication.

Khushboo, 10, studies in 5th standard in Nagar Nigam School in Dallupura. She had visited the clinic twice before with her parents. Today, she has come alone to get herself checked for the stomach ache bothering her since the last few days.  

Ram Das, 52, a farmer had lived in Dallupura village for 20 years. Three years back he shifted to Kanpur. There, he was diagnosed for diabetes and could not afford the treatment there. So, he came back to Dallupura upon hearing from his relatives about the Mohalla clinic. 

BB Singh, 58, owns a multi purpose shop adjacent to the Dallupura Mohalla clinic. He is pursuing vitamin D3 deficiency treatment from the clinic. He is happy with his treatment and finds no fault there.

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Harijan basti, Dallupura 

The patients of the area complained against Dr. Sunita Wardhan, stating that her behaviour is discriminatory with them. She checks the patients from a significant distance  without touching them even if it is required sometimes. When I went to check the clinic, everything described about the doctor was true. I had to literally ask her to move a little towards the patient so that I could capture them in one frame. 

Vimla Devi, 50, housewife, lives in front of the Mohalla clinic since last 35 years. She complains about the arrogant and discriminatory behaviour of the doctor. She said, " Yeh doctor ekdum haraman hai, hum logo ko dur se dekhti hai, haath bhi nahi lagati. Hum toh yahan ab nahi jaate." (The doctor is bad. She checks us from a distance, doesn't even touch us.  We have stopped going to this clinic now.)

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Sanyog Vihar 

The ANM of the clinic who is temporarily placed few days back in replacement complains against the extra work the ANMs are required to do at these Mohalla clinics. They are required to reach the clinic at 8 am, complete the vaccination task, fill in enteries in the app/registers and leave around 3 pm. There is one ANM appointed over 10,000 people and five ASHA workers work under her. They are paid a fixed salary by the government. Well, all ANMs I met in the Mohalla clinics don't share a similar opinion. Others don't find their job a burden. The Doctor at the clinic, Dipa Arora, told me about how the people complained  against her to the MLA for asking Aadhar card from the patients which was one of the required field to be filled in the app. She added that most of the patients don't have mobile number. So, on the basis of their mother's name, it becomes very difficult to follow up a patient.

The Doctor also told me about Neelam Tyagi, 32, a resident of Jain colony who joined the clinic two months back to assist them free of cost. She helps in labelling the blood samples, dispatching the medicines from almirah and distributing reports to the patients. She is a housewife and has two kids, one in class 8th and other in class 11th. Despite having no experience in this field, she works efficiently. With the desire to work for people, she manages her family and social work at the clinic.

Shiv Nath, 85, owns a cycle repairing shop in the area which his sons run now. He has visited the clinic for the second time. Prior to the opening of the Mohalla clinic, he used to go to the Deen Dayal government hospital in Sector 10/12. He says, " Yeh bahut acha hai, thoda aur bada clinic hota toh majja hi aa jata." (The clinic is very good. Had it been more spacious, it would have been great).

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Ajay Park 

Dr. G.R. Arora, the in-charge of this clinic made several recommendations for improving the working of the Mohalla clinics. Only a single almirah is allocated for storing the stock of medicines in the clinic. This forces them to keep the medicines on the floor where they get mixed with other medicines and leads to the error of handing over the wrong medicine to the patients. Dr. Arora adds that the examination table can't be put to use as it has neither got a screen nor a ladder to get on. The PWD is supposed to provide these facilities but he hasn't received them yet. Many patients with the complaint regarding their ears come to him but he then refers them to poly clinics and hospital due to unavailibility of wax drops. Anti-diarrheal and anti-vertigo medicines are also not supplied in the clinic. The Doctor pointed towards the lack of coordination between the Mohalla clinics and the hospitals where he refers his patients. The hospitals don't pay due attention to the referred patients. 

Savitri, 70, a resident of Deepak Vihar and wife of a retired Army personnel, comes to the clinic regularly for the treatment of her arthritis problem. She is contented with the treatment which is providing her relief. 

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Gali no. 5, Gopal Nagar, Najafgarh 

The clinic neither has any sign board outside its building nor in the adjoining lanes. Dr. Priya, 36, is one of the youngest doctor of the Mohalla clinics and this is the reason why she is hounded by the local MLAs every now and then on influential patients complaint for not treating them first or for any other trivial reason. 
A new Medicine Vending Machine (MVM) is recently installed at the clinic, yet not operational. The MVM is installed at 10 Mohalla clinics so far but operational at only two places. The machine will enable automatic dispatch of the medicines after reading the bar code available on the prescription slip. 

Chameli, 83, has been living in the area since her marriage. She never expected that a clinic will be opened right in front of her house. For all these years, she had to travel a long distance to reach the government hospital. She has a deep sense of belongingness with the clinic and fights with anyone who tries to bully the doctors or patients there. When I went there to enquire about the work done by the doctors, I had to literally convince her that I am not here to close the clinic. 

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic,  Shiv Vihar

The clinic is visited by the patients from the nearby Phool ki Jhuggi where the temporary labour resides.  Before the Mohalla clinic was opened in the area, the patients used to visit the Chawla dispensary. The Doctor complains that some patients misuse their right by forcing them to carry out tests which are not required to be done. They create chaos in case of denial of the tests. 
HIV counselling is given at the clinic and a patient regularly visits for the same.

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Qutub Vihar

This clinic has got an unique set up, the clinic and Aam Aadmi Party office being in the same plot. Dr. Swati Agarwal mentions about the hindrance she and her staff faces due to the unnatural situation of the clinic. The senior citizens, if not seen first, hounds her by the name of the MLA, Gulab Singh. Mostly, the residents of the area takes the medicines from the quacks (Gollachap) and then come for rectifying them. The biggest trouble she faces is the tab handed over to her to fill in the details of the patient, which she finds time consuming. The multi-tasker also was not

given adequate training before handing over the job of filling the data in the app. There is always discrepancy in the number of patients in the app and in the register which leads to confusion. Although the Pregnancy test facility is not available at the clinic, family counselling is done here. She complains that medicine for vomiting (syp. Domperidone) and loose motions (Syp. Metrogyl) were never provided which is a common problem with the patients. She faces no problem in the follow up of the patients but only the last four visits of the patients are made available. Although the past visits can be downloaded from the server on request. She said that they face security issues when the patients get out of control at times when their reference to the MLA is not entertained and also the area is situated near to the fields which makes it difficult for them to walk alone.

Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinic, Gali no. 6, Zakir Nagar, Joga Bai extension

Yet another area where people are not aware of the name 'Mohalla clinic': the auto dropped me outside the congested lanes where it couldn't enter. Well, it was easy to find Gali no. 6. But it really got difficult to find the clinic. There were multiple short lanes emerging after every ten steps. Every person I asked was giving me a new direction. I was tired of walking and asking the same question from every passer-by. After I asked a small shop owner about the clinic near the Nooh Masjid, he showed me the way from where I was coming. This made me angry and I told him that I am coming right from that place and hadn't seen any clinic there. I also told him not to advice any direction if he wasn't aware of it. He replied, "Madam, main wahan ilaah karane jata hun, jhooth nahi bol raha. (Madam, I go there for my treatment and I am not lying). I apologised him for being rude and asked him about the working of the clinic. He said, "the medicines are effective and the doctor is good."

As I entered the clinic, I found less rush than other clinics I had visited. I sat among the patients waiting for their turn. The lady near me asked me to take a token from inside,  I asked her about the clinic. She gave me a good review. I talked to few more and gathered that the patients, especially women, are not happy with the ANM, Ms. Madhu and the pathologist, Ms. Sushma Bahuguna whom they find rude and discriminatory. Even the tokens that were given to the patients that day were not serially arranged but the patients were called serially, creating confusion and discontent among the patients. Pregnancy test and contraception facilities are not available in this clinic and the women strongly feel that it should be availed soon. When required, the patients are referred to Batla house dispensary where Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and Allopathic treatments are provided. On talking to the pathologist, I gathered the area is prone to dengue due to high number of mosquitoes. She said even the clinic is not free of mosquitoes and added that the clinic is not cleaned on a daily basis and the dustbins of the lab are not emptied every day. 

Saira Bano, 47, came to the clinic with her mother-in-law, Akhtari, 75, from Joga Bai area near Isla Masjid. She had visited the clinic six to seven times before and today came to take medicine for her mother-in-law's fever and consult her kid's report and medication from a private hospital. 

Nisar Khan, 69, and Moh. Jammal, 52, residents of Zakir Nagar have come to the Mohalla clinic today for the first time after their neighbours recommended them. Prior to the opening of this clinic, they used to go to Batla house and Safdarjung hospital, pretty far from their residence. 

Taranum,19, has brought her mother Shabnam, 45, to the clinic to get her blood test done. She complains that she came to the clinic twice for the same but was denied. Now, when her mother's situation has worsened, she is allowed for the test.

Aam Aadmi Polyclinic, kanti Nagar

 

The polyclinic looks no less than a hospital. It had Dermatology OPD, ECG Room, Minor OT, Gynae, peadiaric OPD, Breast cancer screening room, ICTC Counselling among many others. While there is no indoor facility, the clinic is equipped to handle diverse ailments. Many teenagers were seen among the patients. On asking them, I gathered that they were seeking skin treatment there.

Anamika Sharma, 19 and Pooja Mathur, 20, both second year student of Political Hons. from the nearby college live in Yamuna Vihar. They come regularly to the polyclinic for treatment of pimples. The medicine given here is effective. Their college mate from Kanti Nagar recommended the treatment from this clinic.

Veerwati, 25, wife of a tailor has come to seek treatment of her two months old kid from Seelampur in a mini bus. The kid first had some problem in stomach for which he was referred to Karkardooma hospital. Now, the hair of the kid are falling in bulk everyday. She met Dr. Anwer Aslam, pediatric, who sent her to the Dermatology section from where she was referred to the Chacha Nehru hospital. She was clueless about what was happening. I went to the Doctor and asked what happened to the child. He informed me that the child is suffering from 'Alopecil Areata' which they are not capable of handling.

Sanju, 40, who migrated 10 years back from Bihar tells about how these clinics are of no use to her. Her son Vikas, 17, a tailor in Kanti Nagar used to have extreme stomach ache few months back. When she brought her to the polyclinic for treatment, he was referred to Hedgewar for ultrasound. When she got those reports, the doctors referred her to GB Pant hospital from where she was again referred to Arban hospital. Till date, her son has got no relief from stomach ache and the poor fellow is wandering from one hospital to other.

To sum up, Mohalla clinics are a big hit. The people at the clinic were mostly happy and satisfied. Even after instigating them, nobody spoke against this facility. Probably, this is the first government project which is benefiting the common man of the city. All the clinics are set up in backward areas catering to poor labour class section of the society. In fact, at some clinics, people from slums are availing this health care service. Many patients at these clinics were first timers who came on recommendation of their neighbours. Few even travelled from a different city to Delhi where their relatives live to seek the treatment from the Mohalla clinic. The increasing rush is creating chaos among patients and decreasing the doctor to patient time. Patients feel that there should be two separate queues, one for regular patients and other for those who visit with an empty stomach for their blood test. The app is highly rebuked both by the doctors as well as the patients. The Doctor's time and attention is diverted in filling the entries in the app rather than examining the patients in three to five minutes' duration allotted to each patient. The clinics lacks few medicines catering to some common problems of the patient like diarrhea, vomiting, loose motions and ear issues.
 
Well, one need to understand the limitations of Mohalla clinics and the fact that they are tier one in primary healthcare. The basic aim of the clinic is to serve smaller health issues of a common man. 
 
It is interesting to watch the people getting more health conscious in a sense that they make sure their Blood pressure and sugar test is done twice in a week. The kids are at the top who come to the clinic alone in case of any trouble they face -- be it getting a first aid on the wound, stomach ache, fever or acne problem. Pregnancy test and contraception are mostly not available at the clinics and the patients are referred to the ASHA workers. No publicity is done for the Mohalla clinics. In fact at some clinics, no board is placed for the people to identify the clinic. Even the board has only Mr. Kejriwal's and Satyendra Jain's picture which confuses the place with the party's office. 
 
The clinics are working well and with some improvements, the Mohalla clinics will be more efficient. There is no doubt that these clinics have brought about a sea change in the delivery of government health care service to a common man. The day is not far when people from other states of the country will begin demanding such facility in their states too.