Taking their Delhi Dialogue to a more micro level, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will now be holding their upcoming dialogue on health in all 70 Assembly constituencies of the national Capital. The party’s top leaders will address 16 of the main constituencies and for the rest the candidates fighting on the seat will hold the dialogue. The party on Thursday also released a broad agenda of their plan to improve health services in Delhi.
Senior party leaders put forward a slew of measures regarding the health sector while also highlighting the blueprint for the education sector which party convener Arvind Kejriwal had already put forward before. A few of those measures were ramping up the health budget spending from Rs 2700 crore to Rs 4000 crore, increasing hospital beds by 29,000 and opening of 500 new schools.
Party spokesperson Ashish Khetan said, “The party promises to open 900 new primary health centres (PHCs), provide health cards for all, free ambulance across Delhi, even to private hospital patients, free mortuary service and more pharmacy shops to dispense generic drugs.”
“The number of hospital beds in secondary and tertiary hospitals will be increased from existing 10,600 to 40,000 beds, including 4,000 specialist maternity beds. We will ensure that Delhi has 100 per cent institutional delivery as opposed to its dismal 81 per cent, which drops to a shameful 50 per cent in Delhi’s slums,” he added.
To woo the working class, the party said it will also increase OPD timings, mostly in the evening, and patients can seek appointment online. It will also open eye and dental care centres in every hospital. The party added that the emergency services will be expanded across Delhi hospitals and number of emergency beds in every hospital will be increased from 10 per cent to 40 per cent. Testing and diagnostic services will be also bolstered.
These 16 constituencies have been strategically chosen by AAP as they want to focus on middle class and these seats have the highest concentration of the middle class, said party leader Ashutosh.