Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced a proposal to merge major government hospitals including Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi State Cancer Institute, and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital into a single autonomous body, modelled on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the integration is intended to address fragmented resources and manpower across institutions, improve coordination, and enhance overall efficiency in healthcare delivery. The move also aims to strengthen Delhi’s position as a national hub for medical treatment, education, and research.
A key objective of the plan is to increase postgraduate (PG) medical seats by pooling faculty across the merged institutions. Under existing norms, an associate professor can support two PG seats, while a professor can support three, which is expected to expand training capacity. Departments such as radiology, pathology, and anaesthesia are likely to see a significant rise in seat availability, with estimates suggesting increases to around 22, 26, and 48 seats respectively.
The merger is also expected to facilitate the introduction of new PG courses in specialties currently not offered at some institutions, including radiation oncology and cardiology. Additional faculty recruitment and upgrades to academic infrastructure such as laboratories, hostels, and lecture halls are planned to support this expansion.
Officials indicated that the initiative could also lead to a future increase in MBBS seats. The government stated that beyond expanding hospital capacity, the focus is on improving medical education standards and promoting research by optimising the use of existing infrastructure and expertise.
In a related development, the government is working to upgrade the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) into a second institute on the lines of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
Overall, the proposed merger is expected to streamline operations, enhance training opportunities for medical professionals, and improve patient care outcomes across the capital’s public healthcare system.