Ayush ‘Medical Awareness Van’ To Roll Out In Delhi Soon, More Healthcare Initiatives On The Way, Says Health Minister

Soon after launching the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Delhi, the state government is set to begin its ‘Medical Awareness Van’ initiative to provide AYUSH consultation to people living in slums and 'Jhuggi - Jhopri' (JJ) clusters. AYUSH, an acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy treatment, is gradually getting formal recognition. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) also directed insurance companies to treat AYUSH treatments at par with the other therapies and issued guidelines regarding it effective April 1, 2024.

Ayush treatments are already prevalent in India. Senior citizens prefer such treatments along with other conventional medical treatments. Pankaj Singh, Health Minister of Delhi, also has said that the state government is set to launch more such initiatives to provide better healthcare to the city-dwellers, reported PTI. 

It includes strengthening Ayush services, launching integrated stress management programmes, and Ayush wellness centres. The stress management programme is aimed to address prevalent mental health issues, which mostly stem from stress, by integrating ayush components such as yoga, homeopathy, etc.

The mobile van is an effort in this direction to provide support to people for lifestyle-related issues and their holistic well-being. While mobile vans are expected to improve outreach to the densely populated areas in Delhi, it would also expand traditional treatments’ penetration in healthcare. In addition to this, the government also plans to implement the National Ayush Mission to give AYUSH treatments a push.

The other initiatives the government plans to roll out as per reports, are revamping infrastructure of AYUSH colleges and student hostels, improving services with a focus on adopting a compassionate approach, and establishing functional ayush wellness centres.

In line with the agenda to provide easily accessible healthcare options to people, three reforms in healthcare have also been approved by the government on April 29, 2025. These are about price regulation, public-private-partnership (PPP) driven diagnostic services, and operational outsourcing.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana’s implementation in the state, according to the government estimates, would support around 4.5 lakh families. Including Delhi, this healthcare scheme is now available in all states and union territories except West Bengal. Under this, a beneficiary can avail of Rs 5 lakh insurance at empanelled hospitals and services at Ayushman Arogya Centres.

While the state has many state-of-the-art hospitals, the focus on preventive healthcare through mobile vans and ayush wellness centres is expected to benefit people in terms of improving their overall health.

While these schemes and reforms are approved by the state cabinet, the key lies in their proper implementation or these will remain just another schemes.