Mohalla clinics relegated in Delhi's battle against Covid-19 pandemic

For half a decade, mohalla clinics became one of the storied successes of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi as they made primary healthcare more accessible to its residents and helped Arvind Kejriwal return to power in February this year.

And then came Covid-19.

The mohalla clinics began testing people for Covid-19 mid-September. But over the past six months, the neighbourhood primary health centres have remained largely ill-equipped and thus relegated in the fight against the virus.

Prior to September 10, only one clinic, in West Delhi’s Peera Garhi, was testing patients for Covid. Since June 30, it