Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, jointly launched a cluster of key healthcare initiatives under the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' at Tyagraj Stadium, New Delhi, pledging to build a healthier Viksit Dilli through technology-driven and compassionate public health delivery. The event, held alongside the ASHA Conference-2026, brought together a large number of frontline health workers and senior government officials.

Key Schemes Launched

Four distinct health initiatives were unveiled at the event. First, the monthly honorarium for ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers was doubled — from ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 — directly benefiting 6,690 ASHA sisters across Delhi who provide door-to-door health services. Second, Project ANMOL (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife Online) was expanded to cover screening for 56 health conditions in newborns, offered entirely free of cost in Delhi, enabling early identification and treatment of diseases. Third, a dedicated State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) centre was inaugurated at GB Pant Hospital, aimed at improving coordination across the organ donation and transplantation chain so that timely assistance reaches patients in critical need. Fourth, a Nursing Home Management System Portal was launched to streamline, simplify, and make more transparent the processes related to private nursing home registration and accountability.

What Officials Said

In a post on social media platform X, Lieutenant Governor Sandhu said he had joined Chief Minister Gupta and Health Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh at Tyagraj Stadium to launch the initiatives, framing them as aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of an inclusive Viksit Bharat. 'Technology, stronger public health systems and compassionate care will drive our efforts towards a healthier #ViksitDilli,' Sandhu wrote.

Chief Minister Gupta also posted on X following the event, stating that the ASHA honorarium hike would 'provide financial support to Delhi's 6,690 ASHA sisters and further strengthen door-to-door health services.' She underlined that the SOTTO launch at GB Pant Hospital would ensure 'better coordination in the entire process of organ donation and transplantation, enabling timely assistance to reach patients in need.'

Why ASHA Workers Matter

ASHA workers form the backbone of India's primary healthcare delivery, especially in urban slums and underserved pockets. In Delhi, the 6,690 registered ASHA workers are responsible for maternal and child health outreach, immunisation tracking, and linking households to government health schemes. Notably, their remuneration has long been a subject of dispute, with worker unions across several states demanding parity with minimum wage benchmarks. The doubling of Delhi's ASHA honorarium is among the more significant state-level revisions in recent months, though it remains below the national benchmark demanded by worker collectives.

Broader Context

The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan reflects the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government's push to distinguish its health governance record after assuming office earlier this year. The simultaneous rollout of four schemes — spanning maternal and newborn care, organ transplantation, workforce welfare, and digital administration — signals an intent to overhaul multiple layers of the public health stack at once. This comes amid ongoing national focus on the Viksit Bharat 2047 framework, under which states are encouraged to align social sector spending with Union-level benchmarks.

What Comes Next

The operationalisation of the SOTTO centre at GB Pant Hospital will be a near-term test of administrative capability, given that organ transplant coordination requires round-the-clock infrastructure and inter-hospital protocols. The expanded ANMOL newborn screening programme will need district-level health units to process and follow up on results for 56 conditions. Officials have not yet specified a timeline for full deployment across all Delhi districts. The Nursing Home Management Portal's effectiveness will depend on adoption rates among private healthcare providers, many of whom have historically resisted digital compliance mandates.