1,388 Nursing Officers Appointed in Delhi; Ayushman Registration Vans Flagged Off

New Delhi: Union health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday distributed appointment letters to 1,388 nursing officers and 41 paramedical staff at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan. On the occasion, Ayushman Bharat Registration Vans were also flagged off to facilitate doorstep registration under PM-JAY and Vay Vandana Yojana in underprivileged areas.

Nadda called the recruitment drive a landmark moment for Delhi's healthcare system. "This is not merely a recruitment campaign, but a historic effort to address a 15-year backlog in Delhi's healthcare workforce.It was made possible only because of the public mandate in Delhi. One vote by the people paved the way for this transformation," he said.

He highlighted a Rs 1,700 crore budget allocated for the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, stating, "From 2021 to Feb 2025, not a single rupee of that budget was utilised. Now, with an active government in place, we are hopeful this will be fully deployed in the next eight months."

Emphasising a shift in healthcare policy, Nadda said, "We are now shifting from treatment to prevention. Through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, we are ensuring free screenings for hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and more. This is a comprehensive and pre-emptive approach, far beyond earlier superficial initiatives like the Mohalla Clinics."

CM Rekha Gupta said her govt approved the Ayushman Bharat scheme in its first cabinet meeting. "So far, over 4 lakh eligible citizens have registered, including 2 lakh senior citizens under the Vay Vandana Yojana. Over 2,258 patients have received free hospital treatment under the scheme," she added.

Meanwhile, at a BJP event, Nadda digitally inaugurated six new district offices—Mehrauli, Outer Delhi, and West Delhi in the capital, and Jhajjar, Sirsa, and Kurukshetra in Haryana. The ceremony at the BJP headquarters extension was attended by senior leaders and thousands of party workers.

BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva called the day symbolic, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Sachdeva recalled the sacrifices of numerous party stalwarts who dedicated their lives to strengthen the organisation. Where once meetings required makeshift venues, today we are fortunate to have permanent district offices. These offices are not just structures—they are institutions for nurturing and training party workers, he said.