Tertiary cancer care facilities inaugurated; ICU capacity to be expanded by 25–30 beds; 320 PG seats and 800 technical and paramedical posts announced
Munish Sood
Mandi
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday launched a ₹23-crore MRI machine at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College and Hospital at Nerchowk in Mandi district. He also inaugurated a tertiary care cancer centre equipped with a Linear Accelerator and CT-Simulator at a cost of ₹2.29 crore and laid the foundation stone for a ₹51-crore PET Scan block at the medical college.
The Chief Minister later interacted with faculty members and students of the medical college and said strengthening the health sector remained one of the State Government’s priorities. He said the government was working to provide modern healthcare facilities at all medical colleges so that people could access specialist treatment closer to their homes instead of travelling outside the State.
Sukhu said advanced automated laboratories were being established in all medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh. These laboratories would enable multiple tests to be conducted from a single sample, reducing the need for patients to repeatedly provide samples and making the diagnostic process more convenient and efficient.
Referring to PET Scan facilities, the Chief Minister said a PET Scan machine had been installed at IGMC Shimla by the State Government. He said the waiting period for a PET Scan at IGMC was around one month, while patients at AIIMS Delhi had to wait for around four months, according to the information shared by him.
Sukhu said the government was also considering sending MBBS students and faculty members from the State’s medical colleges on overseas exposure visits to familiarise them with modern healthcare practices, technologies and medical systems being followed internationally. He said necessary steps would be taken in this direction soon.
He added that the government was working to strengthen at least two or three major departments in each medical college on a priority basis. The objective, he said, was to increase the capacity for specialist healthcare and make more treatment facilities available within Himachal Pradesh.
On Nerchowk Medical College, Sukhu said 123 nurses were currently posted at the institution and additional nurses would be recruited according to requirements. He announced that the ICU capacity would also be increased by 25 to 30 beds, strengthening the hospital’s ability to treat critically ill patients.
The Chief Minister said the State Government would increase PG seats by 320 this year. He said SRship had also been started at Nerchowk Medical College along with Tanda Medical College, which would help increase the availability of specialist doctors and create further opportunities in medical education.
He said providing adequate technical and paramedical manpower to health institutions was another priority. In this direction, the State Government has sanctioned 800 posts for technical and paramedical staff.
Sukhu said the government’s objective was not merely to expand health institutions but to equip them with modern technology, specialist doctors, trained manpower and advanced diagnostic facilities so that people across Himachal Pradesh could receive quality healthcare within the State.
The programme was attended by MLA Sunder Singh Thakur, APMC Chairman Sanjeev Guleria, former ministers Rangila Ram Rao and Prakash Chaudhary, former CPS Sohan Singh Thakur, District Congress Committee president Champa Thakur, Congress leaders Chet Ram Thakur, Shashi Sharma, Lal Singh Kaushal, Jagdish Reddy, Naresh Chauhan, Pawan Thakur and Jeevan Thakur, Health Secretary Ashish Singhmar, Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar and other dignitaries.
