Publication:

A study on the availability and accessibility of healthcare services provided at Mohalla clinics by the slum residents of Delhi

Background Delhi being the capital of India is overcrowded due to the rapid migration of the people from different parts of the country for the purpose of better employment and education opportunities resulting in development of slums and as a result of lack of proper documentation, lack of awareness intermingled with the other major factors these people suffer a lot and hence to cater to the healthcare needs of these fleeting population the government of NCT of Delhi launched the ambitious project of Mohalla clinics. To explore the availability and accessibility of the various healthcare services provided at Mohalla clinics and to know about the perceptions of the people about the functioning of Mohalla clinics.

Methods a cross-sectional mixed method study was carried out by taking 15 Mohalla clinics in total from the five districts of Delhi, taking three Mohalla clinics from each district where household survey was done with 225 household heads who have availed services from these clinicsResults: The overall response of the users has been positive with respect to the various healthcare services that are being provided at these clinics.

Conclusions Mohalla Clinics have been successful in catering to the healthcare needs of the society, however there are few areas of dissatisfaction infrastructure, drug supply, adequate laboratory investigations, water supply, sanitation of the toilets, overall management system etc.