TY  - JOUR
T1  - Operational Lessons from Mohalla Clinics for Expanding Primary Healthcare Access in Rural and Urban India
A1  - Ali Rezaei
A1  - Maryam Hosseini
A1  - Farhad Karimi
JF  - International Journal of Social and Psychological Aspects of Healthcare
JO  - Int J Soc Psychol Asp Healthc
SN  - 3108-4818
Y1  - 2023
VL  - 3
IS  - 1
DO  - 10.51847/iI6475iHzW
SP  - 144
EP  - 157
N2  - The current state of healthcare remains fragile, particularly in rural India, due to shortages in infrastructure, medicines, and human resources. The situation is further aggravated in rural regions by factors such as limited awareness, inadequate road connectivity, and inefficient healthcare delivery models. To address these gaps, the Delhi government in India launched the “Mohalla” Clinics, aimed at delivering basic healthcare services to residents, with a special focus on the urban poor. These clinics provide essential services, including immunizations, family planning, and counselling, staffed with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, and laboratory technician. Despite a promising start and cost-effective operations, Mohalla Clinics have yet to reach full coverage across Delhi as originally planned. This study examines the operational obstacles faced by these clinics and identifies lessons that could inform primary healthcare strategies in other underserved areas. The analysis draws upon system strengths and limitations (covering infrastructure, facilities, and services) derived from a literature review and qualitative interviews conducted with 55 participants—comprising doctors, nurses, and patients—from 11 Mohalla Clinics, using the SUTD-MIT (Singapore University of Technology and Design–Massachusetts Institute of Technology Industrial Design Centre) Product Service System (PSS) interview framework. Findings suggest that the Delhi Mohalla Clinics model offers valuable insights for other states aiming to strengthen their primary healthcare systems. Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) remains challenging due to multiple constraints within the existing model. Consequently, a novel healthcare delivery framework is needed, with one proposed solution being a mobile Primary Health Center (mPHC)—a collapsible unit that can be transported to remote locations, operate outpatient services for limited hours, and then return to base.
UR  - https://smerpub.com/article/operational-lessons-from-mohalla-clinics-for-expanding-primary-healthcare-access-in-rural-and-urban-fhrgrwrlfiuv7dk
ER  -