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AAP’s Health Policy Reforms in Delhi
Against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding privatised healthcare system, the Aam Aadmi Party government’s health policy reforms in Delhi are scrutinised.
In the run-up to the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi (Delhi) legislative assembly elections of February 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had announced that education and health would be the party’s top priority. The AAP manifesto (2015) made specific promises regarding the health sector: first, to
increase the budgetary allocation to health; second, to expand healthcare infrastructure by creating 900 new primary health centres (PHCs) and 30,000 more beds in order to conform to the international norm of five beds for every 1,000 people; and third, to ensure access to generic, affordable and quality medicines to all by centralising procurement of medicines and other equipment, without corruption. In addition, in line with the understanding that quality health services cannot be provided without decent work conditions for health workers (ILO 2017: 1; Thresia 2016), AAP promised to regularise contractual posts in the health sector, specifically 4,000 doctors and 15,000 nurses and paramedics.
Three and a half years after AAP came to power in Delhi, we assess the results of some of these promises in the healthcare sector, especially that of expanding primary care services under the mohalla clinics (neighbourhood clinics) project, and the regularisation of healthcare workers in the state.
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