Capital’s health system redesign: No CDMOs, doctors to be sent for clinical work

According to the order, under the new system, in many regions, a single ARDH will now undertake the work of as many as three CDMOs of different revenue districts. The work being undertaken by CDMOs of the North and North West districts respectively will now be undertaken by one ARDH of the North region.

The ARDH of the West region will now undertake the work of CDMOs of West and South West districts, respectively. The role of CDMOs of East, North East and Shahadra districts respectively, will now be performed by the new ARDH of the East region. The ARDH of the South region will carry out public health work that was till now distributed under three CDMOs of the South, South East and New Delhi districts respectively. The ARDH central will continue to carry out the work that was being undertaken by the CDMO central.

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Sources said the ARDH of each region will be assisted by one additional CDMO and four regional programme officers — one each for the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Reproductive and Child Health (RCH), immunisation, respectively, and one for all other national and state health programmes.

All other doctors performing administrative duties in each of the 11 CDMO offices under different public health programmes, will now be repatriated to clinical work in primary healthcare.

The order by the health department states that these doctors will be “posted in dispensaries of the concerned region for clinical work by the ARDH”, after approvals from the regional directors and the state Director General Health Services (DGHS).

In July last year, five Regional Directors of Health (RDH) were appointed for the North, Central, West, East and South regions.

Sources said this latest “rejig” was aimed at creating more hands for clinical work, with the Delhi government’s plans to launch a 1,000 mohalla or neighbourhood clinics offering primary health care, and 150 polyclinics or secondary health care centres.

“There was a seeming shortage of doctors because a lot of MBBS doctors are currently occupied in administrative duties in every revenue district. This redesign will help in relieving them for clinical work,” said an official.

Under a pilot programme launched earlier this week, private and retired government doctors were selected through an interview process to man 22 mohalla clinics.

Sources said the redesign was also aimed at better monitoring of health programmes.

“Instead of revenue districts, region-wise distribution of public health work was more judicious use of manpower, and would help in better monitoring and understanding of local health issues,” said the official.

Asked if this would overburden ARDHs of some regions, the official said it was felt this would in fact better the monitoring. “There are a lot of common public health problems associated with geographic regions. Instead of different administrative officials looking at issues due to distinction of revenue districts, now health programmes will be addressed according to regions.”

Sources said TB control officers will continue to operate in every revenue district as before. All hospital medical superintendents will be under the regional directors appointed earlier this year.

Medical superintendents will be responsible for purchases of Rs 5 lakh in their respective hospitals. For purchases beyond this, they will have to seek approval from the regional directors.