Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics to Be Renamed by BJP Government?

After the BJP secured victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, marking its return to power after 27 years, the fate of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) flagship healthcare initiative, the Mohalla Clinics, is set to undergo significant changes. With the new administration now installed, there are indications that the BJP intends to rename these clinics, possibly renaming them as Ayushman Arogya Mandir. This is just one step in the BJP’s overall plan to synchronize health activities in the city with the Ayushman Bharat scheme, a nationwide health program inaugurated by the central government.

As per reports, the BJP plans to change the current Mohalla Clinics according to the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which will offer holistic healthcare facilities to the poor in India. As per the scheme, Ayushman Bharat cards will be issued to around 51 lakh individuals in Delhi, which will provide them with access to healthcare facilities and insurance benefits. If the Mohalla Clinics are indeed rebranded, they will have to comply with the guidelines of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The Union government has requested the Delhi government to provide a report on the current position of the Mohalla Clinics in order to determine if they can be repurposed as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs without compromising on the quality of healthcare services. The assessment will also examine charges of corruption involving the clinics, such as the alleged use of spurious diagnostic tests that were apparently done to favor private labs.

The Mohalla Clinics

The Mohalla Clinics have been criticized for several reasons. In January 2025, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena directed the CBI to investigate allegations of fake diagnostic tests being carried out at some of these clinics. The allegations that these tests were carried out for the interests of private diagnostic laboratories have prompted calls for increased scrutiny and accountability.

Moreover, the clinics are also meant to offer screening for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cervical cancer, breast cancer, and oral cancer. In spite of this, issues of transparency and corruption have led the Delhi BJP to rethink the future of the *Mohalla Clinics*.

Ayushman Bharat

The Ayushman Bharat program, which offers up to ₹5 lakh health insurance coverage for economically weaker families, has already been implemented in most of India, with the only exceptions being Delhi and West Bengal. With the new BJP administration in Delhi, there is also pressure on the state to implement this national health program so that the benefits percolate to the city’s poor residents.

The Delhi BJP is also considering implementing the *Ayushman Bharat* scheme, which could result in an enhancement of healthcare delivery. Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava has recommended that the state government could also look into expanding existing Urban Health and Wellness Centres under the National Health Mission to further improve primary healthcare services.

Primary healthcare continues to be a top priority under the BJP’s new healthcare vision. The government seeks to expand the Mohalla Clinics* model while introducing elements of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The clinics, which provide free diagnostic tests and generic medicines at present, have emerged as a prized asset for the underprivileged sections of society, especially in the poorer neighborhoods of Delhi. Their future now depends on whether they are incorporated into the Ayushman Bharat system or reorganized entirely.

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