Seven things to know about

Delhis mohalla clinics praised by

world leaders
TWO YEARS OF AAP Updated: Feb 07, 2017 18:34 IST

Anonna Dutt
Hindustan Times

In Delhi, 110 clinics have treated 1.5 million people between April and December, shows latest available
data.(HT FILE)

After former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the AAP governments

mohalla clinics have got praise from former director general of World
Health Organisation Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Heres why Delhis mohalla clinics are drawing international praise:

1. The mohalla (neighbourhood) clinics were started by the AAP

government in their first year in office to take diagnostics and treatment of
simple ailments to peoples doorstep and reduce the footfall in tertiary care
hospitals.

2. In Delhi, 110 clinics have treated 1.5 million people between April and
December, shows latest available data. This indicates the huge unmet
need for free universal health care. The health care reforms being
undertaken in Delhi strike me as an excellent strategy, said Dr
Brundtland.

3. The AAP plans to open 1,000 such clinics by March 2017. Once all the
clinics start running, most people will have a clinic within a 5km radius
from their home.

4. The clinics offer 110 essential drugs and 212 diagnostic tests to people
absolutely free. This draws a lot of people into the system who would
otherwise go to unqualified quacks, said a government official.
Read: Mohalla Clinics: Kofi Annan praise fine, but will Delhi govt fix
these 4 issues?

5. By treating minor ailments outside hospitals, mohalla clinics are

expected to free up doctors at tertiary care hospitals to focus on
complicated diseases and surgeries. After the project started, the
government realised that minor ailments such as fever, headache, simple
infections, skin rash etc. accounted for 90 - 95% of ailments, which could
be easily treated at the out-patient clinics.

6. Four clinics at night shelters is helping screen the homeless and

marginalized, who often get left out of social benefits. These clinics are
for people in shelters who often find it difficult to receive treatment
because they are alone with no support, said Delhi health minister
Satyendra Jain.

7. The existing dispensaries do not provide dental care, so people go to

multi-specialty hospitals even for tooth fillings and simple extractions.
AAP plans to provide dental care at community level with 100 dental
clinics based on the model of mohalla clinics.