Delhi expands medical hub plans with more seats and staff
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced increased MBBS capacity and new healthcare infrastructure to strengthen medical services in the national capital.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the expansion of Delhi's medical hub plans through increased medical-seat capacity, new infrastructure, more staff, and broader health insurance, according to Urban Acres. The announcement followed the inauguration of an IVF Centre at Sant Parmanand Hospital.
Gupta stated that the Delhi government is working to improve healthcare delivery by fostering cooperation between private and public hospitals. She said that public-private partnerships are necessary to turn Delhi into a major medical hub and to improve access to affordable, quality care and disease prevention.
The government intends to raise MBBS seats in Delhi's medical colleges from 595 to 820, while postgraduate seats are expected to increase from 553 to 762. A new medical college is also being built at Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka at an estimated cost of Rs 805.99 crore.
To expand the workforce, the government has approved more than 4,000 additional posts, including the appointment of 954 senior resident doctors and over 1,200 nurses. Additionally, five hospital infrastructure projects worth Rs 503.49 crore are underway, and 300 dialysis machines have been deployed across 16 government hospitals.
Regarding insurance, the Delhi government has added Rs 5 lakh to the existing Rs 5 lakh Centre cover, bringing the total annual Ayushman Bharat coverage to Rs 10 lakh. More than 8.94 lakh Ayushman cards have been approved, and over 3.09 lakh senior citizens above age 70 are enrolled under Ayushman Vay Vandana.
The government is also providing 56 free tests for newborns, 10,000 cancer screenings, and HPV vaccinations for girls aged nine to 14. Digital initiatives include the generation of more than one crore ABHA IDs and the introduction of a Digital Health Management System in 38 government hospitals.