World Health Day: AIIMS Delhi's key role in bridging healthcare divide

On World Health Day 2026, AIIMS New Delhi Director M Srinivas highlighted the institution's pivotal role in bridging India's healthcare divide through massive scale, AI-driven innovations, and mentorship of 22 new AIIMS under PMSSY.

As World Health Day 2026 highlights the theme "Together for Health, Stand with Science", AIIMS New Delhi Director M Srinivas underscored the institution's pivotal role in bridging India's healthcare divide.

AIIMS New Delhi: A Leader in Scale and Innovation

AIIMS New Delhi, delivering healthcare at an unprecedented scale, is one of the largest tertiary care hospitals in the world, with approximately 4,000 operational beds and approximately 50 lakh (5 million) outpatient visits annually.

Over 3.6 lakh inpatient admissions every year.

Approximately 3.1 lakh surgeries were performed in 2024-25, including complex and super-speciality procedures.

57 faculty members ranked among the world's top 2% scientists by Stanford University.

Designated Centre of Excellence in Healthcare Artificial Intelligence, pioneering AI-driven innovations in tuberculosis diagnosis, cancer screening, and non-communicable diseases.

An annual budget of approximately Rs 5,500 crore in pursuit of the trinity mission of patient care, medical education and research.

Expanding Healthcare Access: The PMSSY Vision

The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) vision is 22 AIIMS approved under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, the majority sanctioned and operationalised.

Each is an Institute of National Importance, mandated to deliver the full trinity of clinical care, medical education, and research.

Strategically placed in underserved regions, Rishikesh, Deoghar, and Bilaspur, where advanced tertiary care was once out of reach.

Collectively serving crores of outpatients annually, procedures like organ transplants, oncological surgeries, and neonatal intensive care are now available locally.

Significant reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure, protecting families from catastrophic health costs.

Driving National Health Initiatives

AIIMS Delhi has made significant progress in the country's most prestigious Government of India's health initiatives.

AIIMS New Delhi accounts for 22,186 claims, nearly 80% of all Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY claims amongst major public hospitals in Delhi, reflecting its role as the primary destination for free, high-quality tertiary care for the most vulnerable patients.

Inauguration of a Jan Aushadhi Kendra for providing affordable medicines to patients.

Through outreach activities such as Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan, AIIMS has been able to provide preventive healthcare services such as cancer screening, immunisation, mental health, and nutrition counselling to the community.

Mentoring the Future and Fostering Research

AIIMS New Delhi as the Pratham AIIMS: Mentoring a Network.

Played a central hand-holding role with the newer AIIMS in recruitment, faculty development, teaching frameworks, and research culture.

Ensuring the standard of excellence associated with the AIIMS name is upheld across every new institution.

In January 2026, Directors and Deans from all operational AIIMS signed the charter of the Pan-AIIMS Research Consortium at AIIMS New Delhi with the aim of carrying out joint biomedical and clinical research.

The consortium will act as a national research network and will also focus on strengthening multi-centre clinical trials and research in new areas such as AI in healthcare, low-cost cancer treatments, hospital-related infections, and metabolic disease.

(ANI)

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