Nadda's Public Hospital Push: Najafgarh's 230-Bed Upgrade

Public hospitals are central to expanding healthcare access in rural and peri-urban communities.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda’s review of the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) in Najafgarh highlights how this approach is being developed.

The center recorded 94,927 outpatient visits and 35,985 emergency cases between August and October 2026 across 10 specialties.

Nadda said the institution was “progressing in the right direction” and praised its team and Safdarjung Hospital for supporting its development.

The center is being upgraded into a 230-bedded hospital, while its network of primary health facilities continues to serve surrounding communities and support community-based programs.

Key Highlights

• RHTC Najafgarh recorded 94,927 OPD visits and 35,985 emergency cases in three months.
• The center is being upgraded into a 230-bedded hospital.
• Three Urban Primary Health Centers (UPHCs) and their sub-centers support rural and peri-urban healthcare delivery.
• Nursing, allied health sciences and specialized medical education facilities are also planned.

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Public Hospitals: Najafgarh Expansion Targets Rising Healthcare Demand

The RHTC conducted 691 surgeries during the August-October period, including 101 major and 590 minor procedures. It also recorded 198 inpatient admissions.

The center’s existing services include:

• Ten outpatient specialties and emergency care.
• Anti-rabies and snake-bite treatment facilities.
• A NABL-accredited laboratory and pharmacy offering more than 350 medicines.
• Functional ultrasound, physiotherapy and audiometry facilities.

The proposed expansion includes specialized clinics for thalassemia, de-addiction, adolescent health, rheumatology and non-communicable diseases by December 2026.

CT scan and X-ray facilities are targeted for the first quarter of 2027.

Rural Healthcare Infrastructure Gets a Stronger Primary Care Network

These facilities serve rural and peri-urban communities through maternal and child healthcare, immunization, family welfare and disease-control programs.

The network demonstrates how public hospitals can complement primary healthcare facilities by connecting community-level services with more specialized treatment and emergency care.

The center is also strengthening quality standards across its three UPHCs. It has completed 105 of 129 identified action points under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS).

Medical Education and Workforce Development Form Next Phase

RHTC has renovated its Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) Training School, which has an annual intake capacity of 44 students and a 60-bed hostel.

Its longer-term development plans include:

• A BSc Nursing College.
• An Allied Health Sciences College.
• Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine teaching departments.
• Additional residential and medical education infrastructure.

The expansion positions RHTC as a combined healthcare delivery and training institution, linking public hospitals with primary care, rural healthcare access and the development of India's healthcare workforce.