Reiterating that revolutionary changes would made in heath sector, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Himachal would emerge as the country’s top state in healthcare services within the next three years.
Addressing a first-of-its-kind state-level health dialogue session at Peterhoff, Shimla, the Chief Minister said his government would spend Rs 1,300 crore under JICA Phase–II to strengthen healthcare delivery.
“Nearly Rs 3,000 crore would be invested over the next three years to equip health institutions with world-class high-end medical technology,” he said.
A direct and extended interaction was held between the Chief Minister and Chief Medical Officers (CMOs), Block Medical Officers (BMOs) and Medical Superintendents (MSs) on Saturday.
The marathon dialogue session continued for nearly four-and-a-half hours, during which the Chief Minister engaged in detailed discussions on grassroots challenges, operational issues and policy-level reforms. Several key decisions were taken on the spot, ensuring immediate resolution of long-pending matters.
Emphasising that strong health administration is the backbone of quality healthcare, the Chief Minister announced decentralisation of administrative and financial powers.
The CMOs, BMOs and MSs would be vested with enhanced financial authority, while necessary amendments would be introduced in the financial rules to make procedures simpler, faster and more effective.
He said financial and decision-making powers related to sanitation arrangements in health institutions would be delegated to CMOs. Special dedicated funds would also be created for CMOs and MSs to meet urgent and essential hospital requirements.
The Chief Minister announced that the government would actively consider increasing the salary of Job Trainee Doctors.
He said recruitment of 236 doctors is currently underway and 150 additional posts have already been sanctioned. To ensure complete transparency, marks obtained in both written examinations and interviews would be included in the final merit list.
He said that Model Health Institutions being developed would act as game changers for the healthcare ecosystem. These institutions would be equipped with globally benchmarked high-end technology.
Medical equipment older than 15 years would be replaced, significantly improving patient care and reducing the workload on doctors. Operation theatre facilities would be ensured in every Model Health Institution.
The Chief Minister further announced that security arrangements in all health institutions would be strengthened through the Ex-Servicemen Corporation.
Highlighting quality standards, the Chief Minister said that all medical equipment would be procured strictly as per AIIMS specifications. CT Scan machines would be purchased with a ten-year comprehensive maintenance guarantee.
He said advanced technologies such as robotic surgery and smart laboratories are being integrated into the healthcare system.
While robotic surgery has already commenced at Chamiyana and Tanda hospitals, the government will invest Rs 75 crore in establishing smart labs, enabling multiple diagnostic tests from a single blood sample.
The CM said meaningful reforms would also be introduced in Rogi Kalyan Samitis. The audit of the HIMCARE scheme is underway and the scheme would be strengthened further. Medical Superintendents would also be empowered to issue up to 100 HIMCARE cards.
