SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh government is systematically strengthening health infrastructure across all district hospitals and the state’s seven government medical colleges to ensure citizens receive quality treatment closer to their homes, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said.
Presiding over a high-level review meeting of the health department, the Chief Minister emphasized that district and regional hospitals play a vital role in providing timely medical care. To upgrade these facilities, advanced 1.5 Tesla MRI machines will be installed at the regional hospitals in Bilaspur, Kullu, Una, and Solan, the district hospital in Kinnaur, Dr. Y.S. Parmar Government Medical College and Hospital in Nahan, and the regional hospitals in Dharamshala and Palampur.
Furthermore, state-of-the-art 3 Tesla MRI machines are being set up at all government medical colleges across the state to significantly improve specialized diagnostic and treatment capabilities.
To enhance women’s health diagnostics, digital mammography machines will be introduced at the district hospitals in Nahan and Hamirpur, alongside the regional hospitals in Bilaspur, Solan, and Dharamshala.
The Chief Minister also stated that the procurement process for 42 handheld X-ray machines is currently underway, with 14 machines already received. These portable devices will be deployed in far-flung and inaccessible pockets of the state to conduct chest screenings and facilitate the early detection of Tuberculosis (TB), ensuring timely intervention.
In another major upgrade, high-end 256-slice CT scan machines will be set up at the Atal Institute of Medical Super Speciality in Chamiyana, IGMC Shimla, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda, Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College in Hamirpur, and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College in Nerchowk. Additionally, digital X-ray and 4D ultrasound machines are being made available across various other health institutions in the state.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that the procurement of all medical equipment strictly aligns with the standards maintained by AIIMS, New Delhi. He also instructed authorities to strengthen the radiology departments across all government medical colleges.
The meeting also reviewed the ongoing recruitment of doctors, paramedical staff, and technicians. Sukhu noted that the hiring process is being expedited to quickly address staff shortages in the seven government medical colleges. While reviewing the purchase of quality medicines, he ordered the department to complete the process swiftly, reiterating that the government’s ultimate objective is to provide world-class medical facilities within Himachal Pradesh so patients do not have to travel outside the state for treatment.
The high-level meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Principal Advisor (Media) to the CM Naresh Chauhan, Chief Secretary K.K. Pant, Principal Secretary M. Sudha Devi, Secretary to the CM Rakesh Kanwar, NHM Mission Director Pradeep Thakur, Director of Health Services Dr. Gopal Beri, and other senior officials.
