New Delhi: The Delhi government has decided to gradually shut down Mohalla Clinics located near newly planned Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, aligning its health infrastructure with the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
The decision, revealed in minutes of a recent health department meeting chaired by Health minister Pankaj Singh, reflects a major transition in Delhi’s approach to primary healthcare. The rationale is that both Mohalla Clinics and AAMs serve similar functions, providing accessible primary health services, and co-locating them would be redundant. “The Mohalla Clinics in the vicinity should be withdrawn if the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs can cater to the same population,” the minutes stated. The meeting, held on April 17, also noted that 1,139 sub-centres have been sanctioned for AAMs across Delhi, along with 123 Primary Health Centres for the 2025–26 fiscal year. This development follows earlier announcements where approximately 250 Mohalla Clinics operating in rented spaces were marked for closure. Of the 553 functioning clinics, only 11 currently operate from government-owned buildings. The Public Works Department has been tasked with completing 70 AAMs by May-end, with the groundwork already underway at identified sites. Medical professionals currently employed at Mohalla Clinics will continue under existing contracts for up to a year or until AAM staffing is complete, officials said.