While presiding over a meeting of senior officers of the Health Department here today, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State Government has released Rs. 100 crore to the Health Department for clearing the outstanding payments under the Himcare scheme. He said that the present State Government is committed to provide specialized health care facilities to the people nearer to their door steps and numerous reforms have been undertaken in the health sector during the last three and a half years.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government has also released Rs. 75 crore for setting up of automated labs in the three medical colleges viz. Atal Institute of Medical Super specialties Chamiyana, IGMC Shimla and Tanda Medical College so that multiple tests can be done simultaneously using a single blood sample. He said that tenders have been floated to procure machines for establishing these labs alongwith PET Scan machines for Tanda Medical College and Hamirpur Medical College.
Sh. Sukhu said that the State Government is spending Rs. 3000 crore on procuring modern medical machines and equipment and plans are afoot to procure latest world-class technology in the health care institutions of the State to provide better health care facilities to the patients within the State.
The Chief Minister also directed the department to make zero waiting time for conducting MRI, CT scan etc. to improve the diagnostic facilities to facilitate the patients and early detection of the illness so that timely treatment can be initiated. He also asked the Health Department to make a zero waiting time for the major surgeries in the medical colleges of the State. He said that the State Government is filling up the vacant posts of doctors and paramedical staff alongwith technical staff on priority so that patients do not suffer for want of requisite trained manpower. He said that there is no paucity of funds in the health and education sectors for providing specialized and latest services to the people of the State.
Sh. Sukhu asked the department to provide branded and quality medicines to the patients. He said that the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation may be roped in for the procurement of branded medicines.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Secretary Health M. Sudha Devi, Secretary Environment, Science and Technology Sushil Kumar Singla, Special Secretary Health Dr. Ashwani Sharma, Managing Director, State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Rajeshwar Goel and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
