Sunil Chadha
Shimla: In a major push to strengthen medical education and healthcare delivery in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday (January 7, 2025) announced that the state government will frame a comprehensive Senior Residency Policy for all medical colleges in the state. The move aims to ensure better use of medical manpower and improve patient care across institutions.
Presiding over a high-level meeting of the Health Education and Health Department, the CM said the new policy would focus on rationalising senior resident posts for optimal utilisation of human resources. He announced that the quota for General Duty Officers (GDOs) in senior residency will be increased to 66%, up from the current 50:50 ratio between GDOs and direct recruits.
More PG, super-speciality courses planned
Sukhu said MD and MS programmes in additional disciplines will be introduced at medical colleges in Chamba, Nahan, Hamirpur and Nerchowk, giving a boost to academic capacity and healthcare infrastructure. He also announced the appointment of DM and MCh super-specialists in medical colleges to expand specialised healthcare services.
In another key decision, state-of-the-art ICUs equipped with advanced medical technology will be set up in all medical colleges.
1,000 Rogi Mitras to assist patients
To improve patient facilitation, the state will appoint 1,000 patient care assistants (Rogi Mitras) — 500 in medical colleges and 500 in other health institutions. A pilot project will begin from Hamirpur district, where a standard operating procedure has already been prepared. Initially, Rogi Mitras will be deployed at Primary Health Centres.
On a pilot basis, Rogi Mitras will also assist patients above 70 years of age at Chamiyana Hospital, Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College-Tanda and IGMC-Shimla, where dedicated Rogi Mitra counters will be set up.
The CM also said data entry operators will be posted in OPDs of medical colleges to ensure systematic patient data management. Emphasising long-term planning, Sukhu said innovative steps are being taken to make Himachal Pradesh one of the leading healthcare states in the country.
Senior officials, including the CM’s principal adviser (IT and Innovation), Health Secretary Priyanka Basu, Special Secretary (Health) Ashwani Sharma, Director of Health Education Rakesh Sharma, attended the meeting.
