‘HP to spend Rs 1570 cr to revolutionise health sector’
Shimla: In a significant step to enhance healthcare infrastructure, the Himachal Pradesh government has announced an estimated capital expenditure of Rs 1570 crore.
The investment will be directed towards the procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment and machinery over the coming months, aiming to improve medical care facilities across the state.
Making the announcement, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said here that the state government is going to revolutionise the healthcare sector to benefit the people of the State.
He said that annually 9.50 lakh patients are travelling out of the state for diagnostic and treatment resulting in a loss of Rs 1350 crore of GDP per year.
“This is a serious concern and the present state government is prioritising strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the state to save the valuable money and time of the thousands of patients,” said Sukhu.
The Chief Minister said medical colleges are being upgraded with the facility of robotic surgery in neurology, oncology, orthopaedics and other departments as this will reduce the workload of the doctors and would also benefit the patients receiving treatments. The process for installing modern PET Scan and MRI machines in IGMC, Shimla and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, district Kangra is underway and this will be completed shortly.
He said that a Cancer Care Centre of Excellence would also be set up in Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur with ultramodern facilities with an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore. The facility will feature the state’s first cyclotron machine, alongside specialized services for radiation and nuclear medicine therapy. Additionally, the centre will offer 150 dedicated beds for cancer patients. Sukhu directed to upgrade and strengthen the 69 healthcare facilities with enhanced levels of care in the State by adding speciality beds and diagnostic capabilities in these hospitals.
These health facilities will also be strengthened for secondary care, emergency services, equipment abilities and facility safety measures including fire fighting infrastructure and improvement in internal mobility etc. He said that special focus would be laid on establishing in-house laboratories for the enhancement of diagnostic and treatment facilities at Zonal Hospitals, Regional Hospitals, District Hospitals and Community Health Centres. Modular operation theatres would be established in Zonal Hospitals and Civil Hospitals under this plan.
