NEW DELHI: The DMK government in Tamil Nadu is going to shut down Amma mini clinics launched by the previous AIADMK government across Tamil Nadu state, arguing that the clinics are not working properly.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Subramanian said, “The clinics were a one-year temporary scheme and 1,820 doctors were appointed. There were no nurses, the clinics were set up at buildings that were functioning for different purposes. The services of those doctors who had been appointed to Amma mini-clinics were utilised during the second wave of the Covid pandemic. Even now, their services have been extended till March 2022 for Covid-19 related duties and after that, the government will use them appropriately,”.
The minister alleged that no one actually received effective treatment at Amma mini clinics while in DMK government launched schemes like Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvum, Inniyur Kaapom, the government have the data of persons who were provided treatment but no such data are available for Amma mini-clinics. He added, “they were kept open but the question is did they function effectively? After the DMK government took charge, on a humanitarian basis, the chief minister did not terminate or suspend any of these doctors who had been working in Amma clinics, instead, they were provided other jobs,”
Then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami launched the scheme in 2020 when the AIADMK was in power and the government set up around 2,000 Amma mini clinics across the state in six months to provide essential healthcare services to the poor. AIADMK leaders alleged that the closure of Amma mini clinics signifies the vendetta politics of the DMK government.
Speaking to the media, leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami said, “Amma mini clinics were opened with the sole intention to help poor people in rural and urban areas get treatment near to their residence. Just because this scheme has Amma’s name [late AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa], the DMK government, with a political vendetta, has decided to close them. This is highly condemnable. The government has once again shown that it doesn’t care about the welfare of the downtrodden.”