Mohalla Clinics of Delhi: A Model for Accessible Healthcare Services in India

The ‘Mohalla Clinic’, a revolutionary initiative in National Capital Delhi's healthcare sector started a decade ago after the government under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal came to power. This initiative was to make health services accessible and effective for the ‘Aam Aadmi’. This project has not only brought primary health facilities to every home but has also given a new direction by making health services easy and free for the poor and middle class. After Delhi, the Punjab Government also started the Mohalla Clinic project (named 'Aam Aadmi Clinic' in Punjab). This can be a model for accessible healthcare services for every state in India.

Since taking power in Delhi, then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's government has opened about 518 Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinics in the national capital till today. Due to this, people can get treatment for minor diseases near their homes and free medicines are available. This is the most ambitious project of the Delhi government, which has been highly appreciated at the international level as well.

This Mohalla Clinic of the Delhi Government has become a new model for primary health facilities. According to the annual report of the year 2019-20 of the Directorate General of Health Services, about 8 lakh 22 thousand patients are seen every month in the OPD of about 500 Mohalla clinics. Free medicines are provided to those patients. In this regard, 54 to 55 patients are seen daily in a Mohalla clinic and about 27,400 patients are seen daily in 500 Mohalla clinics. Apart from this, there is a facility of 212 types of free tests in these Mohalla clinics.

What is the benefit of Mohalla Clinics?

This means patients do not need to go to big hospitals for treatment of minor diseases. In a highly populated country like India, such projects are very much needed. In 2017, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also praised the Mohalla Clinic of Delhi in a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Then, Arvind Kejriwal tweeted his letter.

Mohalla Clinic was praised in abroad

In his letter, Kofi Annan said that the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic can become a better model for improving the health system not only in Delhi but also in India. The Delhi government's medical model needs to be adopted in the whole country. Earlier, the Mohalla Clinic was also praised in the medical journal Lancet. The Delhi government plans to open a total of one thousand Mohalla Clinics.

Running with limited resources

To overcome land issues, the Delhi Government has prepared two modular Mohalla Clinics in the Shakur Basti area, which were built in shipping containers. Both were built as a trial. This is the best example of using limited resources for a Mohalla Clinic in Delhi.

More facilities in less space

In August 2021, while giving information about this through a tweet, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that it used to take three to four months to set up a Mohalla Clinic at a place. The shipping container will come readymade from the factory and it is easy to move it from one place to another if needed. Earlier Mohalla Clinics were built in 600 square feet, but the Mohalla Clinic in the shipping container has been built in about half that area, 350 square feet. It looks small but it has been arranged very well. Separate arrangements have been made from the doctor's sitting arrangement to the pharmacy and taking samples for testing. It also has a sitting arrangement for the patients and toilet facilities.

Mahila Mohalla Clinics

In 2022 The Delhi government announced about 100 special women Mohalla clinics. Women are not able to talk openly about their health-related issues. Especially women from economically weaker families are not aware of their health and they do not go to the hospital soon. Because of this, the Delhi government had planned to start 100 special Mohalla clinics in the first phase. In these special Mahila Mohalla clinics, patients can visit a female gynecologist. So that women can openly talk about their diseases. Also, women will be able to get treatment near their homes.

The Mohalla Clinic project has started a new revolution in the field of health services. This initiative of the Delhi government is not only making health services accessible and affordable but is also succeeding in reaching those sections of society that need it the most. These clinics, built with limited resources, have presented a model of primary health care that can become a source of inspiration for other states and countries. This project can be a very good model for the health sector of every state.