Lancet Journal praises Delhi Mohalla Clinics model

The article referred to alleged roadblocks created by the central government, controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party in Delhi.

It said the initiative was launched as people were made to visit three different places for the same services.

At times, patients had to make more than one trip to existing state-run dispensaries and hospitals "where doctors and paramedics were also overworked and absenteeism was high.

"To circumvent such problems, compensation for doctors and staff in Mohalla Clinics is linked to the number of patients they see."

Delhi, with a population of some 16 million, has a fragmented health system run by multiple state and central government agencies and municipal corporations as well as private providers, the Lancet said.

The Delhi Government alone has 36 hospitals (10,000 beds), 185 dispensaries and dozens of other facilities, catering for an estimated 33 million outpatient visits every year.

"Although Mohalla Clinics have added another layer to the existing system, they offer key advantage," the magazine said.

The AAP government's plan to use parts of government school buildings had run into trouble.

"Without political consensus on the benefit of the clinics, efforts to improve health coverage in Delhi could well stall."