New Delhi, August 18, 2025 — The Delhi government has unveiled a major capacity push in public healthcare: 1,100 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) across the city and five hospital expansions adding 1,300 beds. The plan sits on a digital backbone that promises online appointments, electronic health records, and stronger supply chains.
The plan at a glance
Delhi says 166 AAMs are already ready, with the rest rolling out in phases. At the hospital end, five expansion projects finished this month and add 1,300 beds to the public system. Together, officials argue, these steps will reduce crowding and bring primary care closer to dense urban neighborhoods.
Digital rails first
Crucially, the city will integrate facilities with Hospital Information Management Systems (HIMS). Patients will be able to book appointments online, carry digital health records, and use unique health IDs to link visits across facilities. The government also flagged centralized drug procurement to keep essential medicines in stock. These moves are meant to cut queues, improve referral flows, and lower out-of-pocket spends.
Where the new capacity will land
The expansion plan includes seven ICU-focused super-specialty centers at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, GTB Hospital, Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, GB Pant Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital and Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital. In parallel, four multi-specialty general hospitals are slated for Moti Nagar, Dwarka, Sultanpuri, and Jwalapuri. The government says these will help distribute tertiary loads away from a few overburdened hubs.
Enrolment and staffing
Officials reported 4.5 lakh enrolments under Ayushman coverage, along with http://Vaya Vandan YojanaVaya Vandan Yojana support that delivered free treatment worth ₹10 lakh to 2.2 lakh senior citizens. On staffing, Delhi has regularized 1,500 nurses, and hospitals have installed hundreds of high-end devices—from ventilators and oxygen concentrators to anesthesia workstations and defibrillators—to raise critical-care readiness.
Why it matters
Delhi’s public hospitals remain crowded, particularly for surgery, ICU care, and maternal health. Primary centers often lack diagnostics and digital tools, pushing patients straight to tertiary hospitals. The AAMs can change that—if they run with stable staffing, medicine availability, and clear referral protocols. The HIMS layer is the other swing factor: when it works, it reduces paperwork, speeds up triage, and cuts leakages. When it doesn’t, backlogs grow.
What to watch
The timeline is tight. The city has set phased milestones starting from projects initiated in 2020–21 to completions in 2025. Success will depend on last-mile readiness: building operations, vendor servicing for equipment, and on-site IT support. Equally important is public communication so patients know where to go—and when.
