#AamAadmiParty on Thursday released its vision and policy framework on health and education sectors for Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday released its vision and policy framework on health and education sectors for Delhi, in its latest part of the ongoing Delhi Dialogue.

AAP will give highest priority to health and education at a time when the BJP government has cut healthcare spending by 20% showing its priority towards big business and not its citizen’s well being.

AAP will now take the dialogue on health and education sector to the doorsteps of the people of Delhi. Over the next 10 days, starting on Saturday (10January ), 16 dialogues would be held by Senior party leaders Anand Kumar, Yogendra Yadav, Ashish Khetan, Atishi Marlena, Ajit Jha  and Satyendar Jain in 16 assembly constituencies of Greater Kailash, Malviya Nagar, Rithala, Shalimar Bagh, Model Town, Hari Nagar,Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri, Matiala,Rajinder Nagar, Jungpura, Krishna Nagar, Kondli, Uttam Nagar, Kasturba Nagar and RK Puram to meet RWAs and take their feedback on the issues related to health and education.

Besides these meetings, all 70 vidhan Sabha candidates will host a Dialogue in their respective constituencies on RWA issues, health and education.

The broad vision of AAP’s health policy will be:

1. Total budgetary allocation and spending on healthcare will be increased from the existing Rs 2700 crore to 4000 crore.
2. Existing vacancies of 4000 doctors and 15000 paramedics will be filled. Contractual posting and appointments will be abolished.
3. Free 100% immunization of the infants and young children.
4. 900 more PHCs will be built over the existing 300 PHCs to take it to 1200 PHCs. The load on the secondary and tertiary hospitals will be reduced by making PHCs more efficient.
5. The number of hospital beds in secondary and tertiary hospitals will be increased from existing 10600 to 40000 beds, including 4000 specialist maternity beds. We will ensure that Delhi has 100% institutional delivery as opposed to its dismal 81% ID rate, which drops to a shameful 50% in Delhi’s slums and bastis.
6. AAP will set up specialist eye and dental care centers in every hospital in Delhi.
7. 24 hour helpline manned by well qualified staff will be set up for every government hospital in Delhi.
8. Health cards will be issued to all residents in Delhi to ensure long-term health service provision and efficient delivery of health services.
9. Pharmaceutical drugs and equipment procurement will be centralized to ensure zero corruption.
10. 100% computerization of all hospitals. A pilot project on this issue was already started by AAP government in LNJP hospital.
11. Free ambulance to be provided across Delhi, even to private hospital patients.  AAP government in last February had ordered 100 ICU fitted Ambulances and more will be ordered to provide ambulance care to the residents.
12. Free mortuary service from home to hospital and hospital to crematorium.
13. More pharmacy shops will be opened to dispense generic drugs.
14. Out-patient hospital hours will be increased to include early morning and late evening timings to facilitate the office going residents. Appointments at all hospitals will be made online.
15. Emergency services will be expanded across Delhi Hospitals. The number of emergency beds in every hospital will be increased from 10% to 40%.
16. Free medicines for senior citizens through 500 affordable medicine Outlets.
17. 38 hospitals have diagnostic centres. Their testing and diagnostic services will be bolstered. 10 new diagnostic centres will be opened.

AAP also reiterated its vision for education in the press conference. AAP will ensure that education is not a matter of charity, it has to be a matter of right.

1. The party is committed to spend at least 20% of its annual state budget on education sector, a marked increase from the current spending of 15%.
2. To bring the accountability in the education system., we will make headmasters the main pivot of schools. We will give them financial and administrative autonomy and make them accountable as is the case with the higher education institues like IITs/IIMs.
3. It is committed to improving the standard of government schools, so that all citizens of Delhi – whether rich or poor –would have access to high quality of education. Government schools to be made as good as private schools.
4. 500 new schools with special focus on building secondary and senior secondary schools will be opened to ensure that every Delhi child has easy access to a  quality school.
5. Teachers have been reduced to clerks. They do everything but educate.We need to invest in teachers. We need to stop their exploitation. We need to give them higher salary.
6. The construction of toilets and high quality school infrastructure like light, fans, computers and buildings in each school will be emphasized. This will curb the biggest reason of dropout, especially for girls.
7. 20 New colleges would be opened for students from Delhi. Delhi government-run universities, like Ambedkar University, would be expanded.
8. Employment of contractual/temporary teachers in both government and private schools and colleges shall be stopped and all posts would be regularised.  17,000 vacant teacher posts will be filled with best teachers to reach full staff strength. .
9. AAP will promote vocational education and skill-development of Delhi’s youth in schools and colleges, to bridge the real skill-gap in Delhi. We will create the Delhi Skill Mission that will enable the skilling of 1 lakh/year for the first 2 years, ramped up to 5 lakhs/year for the next 3 years of an AAP government.
10. The government will encourage talent and start ups by setting up technological incubators in universities and colleges. Facilitate innovative and private startup accelerators to provide support to entrepreneurs. We will target to provide 3 million square feet of affordable Incubation space to begin with, and scale if the idea takes shape. Children will become job givers, not job seekers. We will give them incubation center spaces.
11. 100% functioning School Management Committees should be formed. Currently, 70% SMCs have been formed but only in name. Parents should be made a principal signatory or vice-chairperson. Parents, teachers, Class IV employees and administrators to be given administrative and functional powers. 50% of the members have to be women. SMC should be involved in the making of the School Development Plan.

This is the broad policy outlook under which AAP will conduct its education and health dialogue and conduct a Dialogue with its citizens. This process will culminate with Delhi’s health and education blueprint, which will be released by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after the completion of constituency-wise discussions.