Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi has proposed transforming its 211 health facilities into Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare, diagnosis, tele-consultation, pharmacy services, wellness activities and referral services.
A letter to Delhi govt’s health and family welfare secretary outlines the plan to upgrade 164 health centres as urban primary health centres and 47 facilities as sub-centres, aligning with the Ayushman Arogya Mandir framework. Officials acknowledged receiving the proposal. According to sources, the approval appears to be nearly certain.
Civic officials have conducted a detailed analysis of infrastructure and staffing requirements, estimating the preliminary costs at Rs 181.59 crore.
Officials explained that Ayushman Arogya Mandir consists of two components: sub-centres (SC) and primary health centres (PHC). SCs operate under PM-ABHIM, a wellness programme initiated by central govt in 2021-22 with consolidated funding till 2026. After five years, the state authorities will take control unless central govt decides to extend the initiative. Based on Delhi’s population, the city overall requires 1,139 AAMs.
PHCs operate under National Health Mission by central govt with a 60:40 sharing arrangement. Delhi requires 400 primary health centres. Central govt approved 123 centres under NHM for this financial year with an allocated budget.
In the initial stage, 70 AAM sites—seven SCs and 63 PHCs—have been identified, out of which MCD will operate 14. The subsequent phase will involve transforming the remaining PHCs into AAMs. There is also a proposal to convert 47 health centres into sub-centres.
Current municipal health facilities serve a substantial urban population dependent on public healthcare, but they need substantial upgrades in infrastructure, equipment, diagnostics, staffing and digital services to meet Ayushman Arogya Mandir standards.
The staffing requirements include 328 medical officers for 164 urban PHCs, with a current deficit of 88. The centres need 1,007 auxiliary nurse midwives, with 333 vacancies. Each centre requires additional staff, including nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, accountants, dressers, public health managers and sanitation workers. Each of the 47 sub-centres will require one medical officer, staff nurse, male multipurpose health worker, sanitary staff and security staff.
According to MCD’s hospital administration department, the distribution of primary health units across Delhi shows varied coverage, with the maximum facilities—23— in central Delhi.
Mayank Rawat
