New Delhi, April 7 -- India's push to democratise healthcare through decentralised models like Mohalla Clinics is a welcome step toward achieving equity in health access.

Conceived in 2015, these clinics now number over 500 in Delhi alone, serving nearly 10,000 patients on a daily basis. Their expansion across several states is set to transform how primary care is delivered: localised, affordable and inclusive.

However, as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India's audit report has shown deficiencies in clinic infrastructure, staffing and compliance plague the initiative.

What remains under-examined is a critical blind spot: biomedical waste (BMW) management.

This is because the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) rep...