New Delhi  The Delhi government is set to significantly scale up its neighbourhood health-centre network with the announcement of 187 additional Arogya Mandirs to be commissioned by December this year. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta declared that the capital currently operates 168 such centres, and the upcoming rollout will raise the total to approximately 355.

These centres form a critical part of the Ayushman Bharat strategy to bolster primary healthcare access. Unlike the earlier “mohalla clinic” model, the new Arogya Mandirs are being constructed on government-owned land rather than rented premises, ensuring permanent infrastructure built to meet Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).

Each Arogya Mandir will deliver a wide range of services: outpatient consultations, diagnostic testing (through external labs), free medicines, maternal & child health, family-planning and adolescent care, non-communicable-disease screening, eye/ENT/dental services, mental-health support and emergency care. The stated aim is to shift from episodic care to continuous, community-based preventive care.

The expansion reflects the government’s goal of building trust in public health infrastructure and ensuring that “time to care” is minimised. Officials note that locating clinics close to homes, with modern amenities and qualified staff, can relieve pressure on tertiary hospitals and reduce costs to patients. However, the plan will also require rapid recruitment, supply-chain readiness and timely commissioning of premises to meet the December target.