Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has lauded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s mohalla clinics initiative for providing free primary healthcare.
In a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Annan said that the initiative was “consistent with the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goal” of the World Health Organisation.
‘We commend you’
Mr. Annan wrote that the mohalla clinic scheme was ‘successful and impressive’ and added: “You have scaled up the provision of universal free health services, most notably in providing free primary healthcare services through your mohalla clinics. We understand that this initiative is proving very successful and we commend you on this impressive achievement”.
Mr Annan heads ‘The Elders’, an independent organisation promoting peace, justice and human rights worldwide.
“We are aware that your administration has implemented a series of health reforms consistent with the UHC goal,” Mr. Annan wrote, referring to the World Health Organisation initiative to enable people to receive health services they need without suffering financial hardship.
The Delhi government has plans to construct some 1,000 mohalla clinics. Around 108 have already come up in planned and regularised colonies. At these clinics, patients get their tests, medicine and doctor consultation for free.
‘Extend health coverage’
When all the mohalla clinics are built, Delhi will be a saturated model state for healthcare, wrote the former UN Secretary-General.
“We believe you could further extend health coverage in Delhi and provide further important lessons for other Indian States embarking on their Universal Health Coverage journeys”.
