Boosting Healthcare Workforce and Outreach in Delhi
In a major step to improve public health infrastructure, Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda distributed appointment letters to newly recruited Nursing Officers and Allied Healthcare Professionals in Delhi. At the same event held at Vigyan Bhawan, he also flagged off Ayushman Bharat Registration Vans, aiming to expand healthcare coverage under PM Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
This initiative comes after 15 years, marking a significant milestone in the recruitment of Delhi’s government healthcare staff.
A total of 1,388 Nursing Officers and 41 Allied Healthcare Professionals were selected by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB). On July 6, 570 Nursing Officers and 20 paramedical staff received appointment letters, with document verification still in progress for others.
The recruitment is expected to address the shortage of skilled staff across Delhi’s government hospitals. Already, 557 Nursing Officers and 20 paramedical officers have completed documentation.
70 Ayushman Vans to Cover All Assembly Constituencies
Ayushman Bharat Registration Vans are part of a door-to-door outreach campaign. Seventy specially designed mobile vans, each equipped with on-the-spot registration facilities, will cover all 70 Assembly Constituencies in Delhi.
Each IEC (Information, Education & Communication) van will operate in its assigned constituency for 30 days, helping residents, especially senior citizens and low-income families, to register and receive Ayushman Cards.
So far, 4 lakh Ayushman Cards have been distributed in Delhi, including 2 lakh Vay Vandana cards for citizens aged over 70 years.
Expansion of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs Across Delhi
Speaking at the event, Delhi CM Smt. Rekha Gupta announced that 1,100 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) will be set up in the city by March 2026, under the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). The initiative will cost ₹1,700 crore.
So far:
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100 AAMs are ready
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34 have been inaugurated
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The remaining will launch this month
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Target: 100 Mandirs per month, 15 per Assembly, 150 per Parliamentary Constituency
These AAMs will offer preventive, promotive, curative, and palliative care, especially to mothers, children, and senior citizens.
Health Gains Backed by Policy and Infrastructure
Minister Nadda highlighted India’s health improvements since 2014:
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Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) dropped from 130 to 88
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Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) decreased from 39 to 26
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Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) fell by 42%, compared to a global drop of 14%
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Neonatal Mortality Rate declined by 40%, versus a global average of 11%
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TB incidence dropped by 17.7%, more than double the global rate
These numbers show the success of preventive health policies, including large-scale screenings:
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18 crore for hypertension
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17 crore for diabetes
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15 crore for oral cancer
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7.5 crore for breast cancer
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4.5 crore for cervical cancer
Medical Education Sees Massive Growth
Shri Nadda also shared the surge in medical education infrastructure:
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AIIMS count increased from 7 to 20
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Medical colleges doubled from 387 to 780
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Medical seats jumped from 51,000 to 1,18,000
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Target: Add 75,000 more seats in the next 5 years
These efforts are designed to create a robust healthcare system, powered by trained doctors, nurses, and technicians.