Government of NCT of Delhi
The Pitch
The Government of NCT of Delhi developed Mohalla Clinics to expand access to free healthcare in low-income urban communities. The clinics have led to significant reductions in water-borne illnesses, improved health outcomes and eased the burden on the primary healthcare system.
The Problem
Residents of New Delhi’s low-income urban communities and informal settlements lacked reliable access to affordable healthcare due to exclusion from public services, making disease and illness prevention difficult.
The Process
- Created free public health clinics—equipped with a doctor, nurse, phlebotomist and pharmacist—located within walking distance of low-income communities that provide free treatment, testing and medication
- Utilized old shipping containers as clinic structures, building an examination room, reception and waiting areas, a pharmacy and washroom inside each
- Recruited private doctors and diagnostic labs to run the clinics for a fee
- Instituted a payment-per-patient model to compensate doctors
The Impact
- Built 496 neighborhood clinics, with locations in all of New Delhi’s 11 districts
- Provided services to 20 million people at the clinics, including 1,500 residents of low-income communities and informal settlements
- Reduced patient load on other health infrastructure in the city by 20%
- Reduced malaria by 69.57%, dengue by 75.25% and chikungunya by 96.225% through proper diagnosis and treatment of water-borne diseases
- Effectively provides free healthcare to residents at an affordable cost to the government: The cost of each clinic is 5% of the cost of a traditional primary healthcare center
- Diverts metal from landfills and provides a replicable model for healthcare centers in remote areas by utilizing shipping containers as structures
- Broadly expanded access to healthcare services among low-income urban communities in New Delhi
- Improved health outcomes, established trust between residents and the government, and expands access to public services to previously excluded groups
