Thane: The ambitious ‘Aapla Dawakhana’ project, launched by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to provide free healthcare to citizens near their homes, has collapsed, with nearly 40 clinics across the city now shut down. Shockingly, many of these closed clinics have been converted into commercial outlets, including one reportedly turned into a saree shop, drawing sharp criticism from BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar.

Thane’s population has reportedly crossed 26 lakh, with over 52 percent residing in slums and chawls. As per health norms, there should be one health centre for every 30,000 to 40,000 residents. However, in Thane, one centre caters to nearly 1.5 lakh people. To ease this burden, the TMC had decided to open 50 ‘Aapla Dawakhana’ clinics across the city, branded as ‘Vandaniya Balasaheb

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