The three-tier strategy adopted by the government focuses on setting up 1,000 mohalla clinics and 150 polyclinics across the capital in the next one year — a move aimed at bringing primary healthcare to the “doorstep of citizens”. Reiterating its focus on healthcare and ensuring that medical facilities are easily accessible to all, the Delhi government has allocated Rs 5,259 crore to the sector in the 2016-17 budget. This marks a jump of nearly 10 per cent from last year. The three-tier strategy adopted by the government focuses on setting up 1,000 mohalla clinics and 150 polyclinics across the capital in the next one year — a move aimed at bringing primary healthcare to the “doorstep of citizens”. The third step is developing hospitals as multi-speciality or single-speciality centres and adding 10,000 hospital beds across hospitals. “These clinics are designed to address common healthcare needs of citizens, undertake a large complement of diagnostic tests and provide all essential medicines,” said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. He added, “For minor health issues such as a cough and cold, one has to stand in long queues at hospitals. This leads to over-crowding. The aim of the government is to make the first two tiers (mohalla clinics and polyclinics) handle such illnesses so that the burden on hospitals can be reduced and resources channelised towards special care.” On government hospitals in Delhi being thronged by patients from not just the city but also other states, Sisodia said, “The healthcare system in Delhi is geared to manage over 3 crore OPD consultations, and over 6 lakh admissions each year, from the state and the neighbouring areas. It is difficult to cope with the huge pressure of providing healthcare of this magnitude with the existing infrastructure.” In addition to this, all medicines and diagnostic centres in Delhi government hospitals will be free from March 1, 2016.