New AIIMS OPD visits triple to 1.45 crore in 2025-26, 6 crore in 5 years
Synopsis
India's new AIIMS network, built under the PMSSY, has seen OPD consultations nearly triple in five years — from 50 lakh in 2021-22 to nearly 1.45 crore in 2025-26. With 18 of 22 sanctioned campuses now operational and over 6 crore cumulative visits logged, the data marks a measurable shift in tertiary healthcare reach across regions that previously had little access to such services.
Key Takeaways
New AIIMS under PMSSY recorded 6.01 crore cumulative OPD consultations between 2021-22 and October 2026 .
Annual OPD visits grew from 50.03 lakh in 2021-22 to 144.96 lakh in 2025-26 — a near-threefold increase.
In 2026-27 , 97.41 lakh OPD visits were recorded through October 2026 alone.
18 of 22 sanctioned new AIIMS campuses are currently fully operational.
The institutions offer OPD, inpatient, emergency, trauma, diagnostic, and specialised clinical services alongside medical education and research.
The new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) have collectively recorded over 6 crore Outpatient Department (OPD) consultations across five years, the government announced on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, cumulative OPD visits at these institutions reached approximately 6.01 crore between 2021-22 and October 2026, reflecting a near-tripling of annual footfall over the period.
Year-on-Year Growth in OPD Consultations
The data released by the ministry lays out a consistent upward trajectory. OPD consultations stood at 50.03 lakh in 2021-22, climbing to 77.95 lakh in 2022-23 and crossing the one-crore mark at 100.52 lakh in 2023-24. The figure rose further to 129.98 lakh in 2024-25 before reaching 144.96 lakh in 2025-26 — nearly three times the 2021-22 baseline.
In the ongoing financial year 2026-27, the new AIIMS network has already recorded 97.41 lakh OPD visits through October 2026, suggesting annual figures could once again surpass the previous year's total if the pace holds.
Network Expansion Under PMSSY
Of the 22 new AIIMS sanctioned under various phases of the PMSSY, 18 are currently fully operational, according to the ministry. The scheme was designed to correct longstanding regional imbalances in access to quality tertiary healthcare — a gap that had historically concentrated advanced medical services in a handful of metropolitan centres.
The ministry noted that these institutions offer a comprehensive range of services, including OPD and inpatient care, emergency and trauma treatment, diagnostic facilities, and specialised clinical services. They have also expanded capacity for undergraduate, postgraduate, and nursing education alongside advanced research infrastructure.
What the Government Said
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement: 'The growing utilisation of these institutions is reflected in the year-wise OPD figures. Consultations increased from 50.03 lakh in 2021-22 to 77.95 lakh in 2022-23 and 100.52 lakh in 2023-24, reaching 129.98 lakh in 2024-25 and 144.96 lakh in 2025-26.'
The ministry added: 'During 2026-27, the new AIIMS recorded 97.41 lakh OPD patients till October 2026. The cumulative figures across these years amount to approximately 6.01 crore.'
Why This Matters for Healthcare Access
India's public health infrastructure has long struggled with a stark urban-rural divide in tertiary care availability. The PMSSY-backed AIIMS network was conceived as a structural corrective — bringing trauma centres, super-speciality services, and medical education to states that previously had limited access to such facilities. The consistent growth in OPD numbers suggests these institutions are increasingly embedded in the healthcare-seeking behaviour of surrounding populations, though independent assessments of quality outcomes and doctor-to-patient ratios at the new campuses remain limited in public domain.
Notably, the near-tripling of OPD consultations over five years also coincides with improved road and transport connectivity in several regions where new AIIMS campuses are located, amplifying their effective catchment areas.
What Comes Next
With 4 of the 22 sanctioned AIIMS yet to become fully functional, the network's total patient load is expected to rise further. The pace at which the remaining campuses operationalise — and the staffing and equipment levels they launch with — will determine whether the growth in consultation numbers translates into measurable improvements in health outcomes across underserved regions.
Point of View
But OPD footfall is a measure of demand, not necessarily of quality or outcomes. A near-tripling of consultations at institutions still ramping up staffing and infrastructure raises a legitimate question: are patients receiving the depth of care these numbers imply, or are overcrowded OPDs becoming a bottleneck of their own? With 4 campuses yet to go fully functional and no public data on doctor-to-patient ratios or wait times, the government's narrative of expanding access needs to be matched by an equally transparent account of service quality. The PMSSY vision was never just about buildings — it was about outcomes.
NationPress
10 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many OPD consultations have the new AIIMS recorded in total?
The new AIIMS established under PMSSY recorded approximately 6.01 crore cumulative OPD consultations between 2021-22 and October 2026, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This includes 97.41 lakh visits in the ongoing financial year 2026-27 up to October 2026.
How much have AIIMS OPD consultations grown over five years?
OPD consultations at the new AIIMS grew from 50.03 lakh in 2021-22 to 144.96 lakh in 2025-26 — nearly a threefold increase in five years. The growth has been consistent year on year, crossing the one-crore mark for the first time in 2023-24.
How many new AIIMS are currently operational under PMSSY?
Of the 22 new AIIMS sanctioned under various phases of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, 18 are currently fully functional, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The remaining campuses are at various stages of operationalisation.
What services do the new AIIMS provide?
The new AIIMS offer a wide range of services including OPD and inpatient care, emergency and trauma treatment, diagnostic facilities, specialised clinical services, and medical education at undergraduate, postgraduate, and nursing levels. They also support advanced healthcare research.
What is the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)?
PMSSY is a central government scheme aimed at correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable tertiary healthcare across India by establishing new AIIMS campuses and upgrading existing government medical colleges. It was designed to bring super-speciality and trauma care to states that previously lacked such infrastructure.
