Clinics for primary care, hospitals for referrals: AAP plan

To address the high burden of patients coming from neighbouring states to Delhi hospitals, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said the AAP government plans to restrict certain services to Delhi’s residents.

Hospitals in the Capital will become referral-only once the government sets up all planned 1,000 mohalla clinics and 125 polyclinics, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said on Monday, adding that the government will set up a system where only those in need of surgeries and serious and emergency attention will need to go to the hospitals.

Mohalla clinic at Gujjar Chowk, Sangam Vihar in New Delhi. The AAP government in Delhi has already set up 450 mohalla clinics and 25 polyclinics. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

“Right now, we do not have enough mohalla clinics and polyclinics to handle all the patient consultations. But once all 1,000 mohalla clinics and 125 polyclinics come up, we will make the hospitals referral-only. People will be able to get consultations, medicines, and tests in their neighbourhood and would have to go to the hospitals only for the treatment of serious conditions and planned surgeries,” Jain told Hindustan Times in an interview.

The government has already set up 450 mohalla clinics and 25 polyclinics. “We will be able to open all 1,000 clinics in three or four months. People say that you had promised 1,000 mohalla clinics and have opened only 450 till now. But this is the highest number of primary health care centres started by any government in five years across the world,” he said. To address the high burden of patients coming from neighbouring states to Delhi hospitals, the minister said the government plans to restrict certain services to Delhi’s residents.

“We said that the OPD would be free for all. The medicines and tests and other facilities would be reserved for Delhiites. There will be no restrictions on emergency services. But, for planned surgeries and procedures, 80% would be reserved for Delhi citizens and 20% for people coming from other states. This is not unreasonable. But some people did not want this to happen and took it to court. But, this is needed for Delhi residents. So, we are fighting in the court,” he said.