Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Sunday distributed appointment letters to newly recruited nursing officers and paramedical staff, and flagged off Ayushman Bharat Registration Vans in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at an event held at Vigyan Bhawan.
Describing the occasion as momentous, Nadda noted that this is the first time in 15 years that Delhi’s nursing officers and paramedical staff have received appointment letters. He emphasized that this recruitment marks a major step in strengthening Delhi’s healthcare system by inducting a specialized workforce.
Nadda highlighted that Delhi bears one of the highest healthcare burdens in the country, with patients from across India seeking treatment in the capital. He credited the current Delhi government for prioritizing healthcare, improving infrastructure, and effectively implementing flagship schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
He further said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme was introduced to provide healthcare access to senior citizens above the age of 70. In Delhi, four lakh Ayushman Cards have been issued so far, including two lakh under the Vay Vandana initiative. Nadda urged stakeholders to work towards the full implementation of PM-ABHIM in Delhi, including the target of establishing 1,100 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) by March 31, 2026.
Reflecting on the evolution of national health policy, Nadda noted that the 1997 Health Policy was focused largely on curative care. In contrast, the National Health Policy 2017, introduced under the Modi government, embraces a philosophy of comprehensive care, with emphasis on preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative healthcare, particularly for the elderly.
He stressed the importance of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in delivering equitable, affordable, and accessible healthcare. Under the government’s preventive healthcare push, extensive screenings have been conducted: 18 crore for hypertension, 17 crore for diabetes, 15 crore for oral cancer, 7.5 crore for breast cancer, and 4.5 crore for cervical cancer. These efforts aim to diagnose diseases early and limit their spread.
Nadda also outlined progress in maternal and child health. He stated that Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are supporting mothers from conception to early childcare, with improved access to regular checkups and immunizations. The Maternal Mortality Ratio has dropped from 130 to 88 per lakh live births, Infant Mortality Rate has declined from 39 to 26, and the Under-Five Mortality Rate has fallen by 42%, significantly higher than the global average of 14%. Neonatal mortality has also declined by 40%, compared to the global rate of 11%. He added that India has also made remarkable progress in reducing TB incidence by 17.7%, more than double the global decline rate of 8.3%, as per the WHO Global TB Report 2024.
On medical education and infrastructure, Nadda said that India had only seven AIIMS until 2014. Today, 20 AIIMS are operational. The number of medical colleges has grown from 387 to 780, and medical seats have increased from 51,000 to 1,18,000, with a target of adding 75,000 more seats in the next five years.
Commending the launch of Ayushman Bharat Registration Vans, Nadda said 70 specially designed vans will soon cover all assembly constituencies in Delhi. Today, 20 of them were flagged off. These vans will assist in collecting data, issuing Ayushman Cards, and registering beneficiaries at their doorsteps, ensuring maximum outreach.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, speaking at the event, stated that four lakh Ayushman Cards have already been distributed in Delhi, including two lakh under the Vay Vandana scheme. A total of 2,258 individuals have received treatment under the Ayushman Arogya Yojana, and 108 Delhi hospitals have been empanelled. She announced that by March 31, 2026, Delhi will establish 1,100 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs using Rs 1,700 crore allocated under PM-ABHIM. Of these, 100 AAMs are ready, 34 have already been inaugurated, and the rest will be launched soon. The government aims to inaugurate 100 AAMs every month, with a goal of 15 in each Assembly constituency and 150 in each parliamentary constituency.
Rekha Gupta also said that every Delhi hospital now hosts a Jan Aushadhi Kendra to provide access to affordable medicines and emphasized her government’s focus on transparency and zero tolerance for corruption in healthcare services.
Following sustained recruitment efforts, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, NCT Delhi, has issued appointment offers to 1,388 Nursing Officers and 41 Paramedical Officers selected through the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB). To date, 1,270 candidates have accepted the offers. As of July 3, 557 Nursing Officers and 20 Paramedical Officials have completed document verification. This recruitment drive aims to significantly reduce the acute shortage of healthcare staff in Delhi’s hospitals, and efforts are ongoing to fill all existing and anticipated vacancies.
To support faster registration and awareness, 70 IEC (Information, Education & Communication) vans are being deployed across all Assembly constituencies in Delhi. Each van will operate for 30 days, equipped with facilities for on-the-spot Ayushman Card registration and outreach campaigns, particularly targeting low-income families and senior citizens.
The ceremony was attended by Delhi government ministers, including Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh, Ravinder Indraj Singh, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, along with Members of Parliament Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Praveen Khandelwal, Yogender Chandolia, and Bansuri Swaraj. Senior officials from the Health Ministry and Delhi government were also present at the event.
from National https://ift.tt/Fhq4vRm