In Delhi, Former UN chief Ban Ki-Moon visits Mohalla Clinics

New Delhi, Sep 7: The Delhi government's Mohalla Clinic in Panchim Vihar had two 'Elder' visitors. A delegation of The Elders, (a global organisation of world leaders working on peace and human rights founded by late Nelson Mandela) led by former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon and former World Health Organisation DG & first woman Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland paid a visit to the clinic along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

Ban Ki-moon ‘deeply touched'

The Aam Aadmi Party's Mohalla Clinic initiative drew huge praise Friday from former secretary-general of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon and former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland during their visit to a health facility built under the project here.

Ban and Brundtland visited Peeragarhi Mohalla Clinic and a polyclinic in west Delhi's Paschim Vihar along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain.

Ban said he was deeply "touched and impressed" with Kejriwal's "strong engagement and vision" to provide primary health care service to poor and vulnerable people. "Mohalla Clinic and polyclinic are good examples of it. I hope there will be much more support and strong engagement at the Union government level also," he said.

Moon suggests India to invest more on health

The former secretary-general suggested India to increase its budgetary support to health services from one per cent of the GDP to 2.5 per cent by 2021.

Kejriwal told Ban and Brundtland about "several political obstructions and interventions" created in setting up Mohalla Clinics, without naming the Centre.

"In the last two-and-a-half-year, we could not do any work due to several obstructions but after the Supreme Court judgement we are confident to set up a thousand Mohalla Clinics in next few months," he told reporters here.

Elders delegation

Ban and Brundtland are in the country as part of a delegation from The Elders, a London-based organisation of independent global leaders who pool their collective experiences and resources for promoting peace, justice and human rights.