New AIIMS, GST review, patient help desks: Panel seeks healthcare overhaul

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has proposed major changes to improve access to tertiary healthcare. Its recommendations include a new AIIMS-level facility in northern Delhi NCR, a GST review and dedicated patient navigation desks in major hospitals.

New Delhi: Getting specialist treatment in India can still mean travelling long distances, waiting at crowded hospitals and moving between multiple counters to understand insurance or referral rules. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has now proposed a wider restructuring of this system, with new tertiary hospitals, tax changes and dedicated patient support cells among its recommendations.

The proposals form part of the committee’s 176th Report, “Affordability and Accessibility of Healthcare Facilities in Public and Private Sector,” presented to Parliament on August 7, 2026. The report contains 368 recommendations covering healthcare costs, infrastructure, insurance and patient access.

Healthcare........

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