MRI, CT scan, cath lab in dist hospitals

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28

CM Manohar Lal Khattar has allocated Rs 6,533 crore for health and family welfare for 2020-21, an increase of 23 per cent over 2019-20.

The Budget promises MRI, CT scan, cath lab and cancer treatment facilities in all district hospitals while adding three new medical colleges.

The allocation for the health sector amounts to 4.57 per cent of the total Budget. Last year, it was 3.8 per cent.

The state has decided to set up three new government medical colleges in Yamunanagar, Kaithal and Sirsa. The number of ventilators in government medical colleges of the state will be increased from 190 to 400.

At present, cath lab and MRI services exist in only four districts while CT scan facility is available at 17 district hospitals. The Budget promises to make all the three services available in all the district hospitals along with the treatment of cancer and chemotherapy.

The facility of dialysis which is available in 18 district hospitals will now be extended to all sub-divisional hospitals in addition to remaining civil hospitals.

In addition, the facility of ultrasound will be extended to the level of every community health centre. Ventilator facility for adults and children will be provided at all district hospitals.

All these services would be expanded on public-private partnership basis, said the Budget.

For sudden heart-related problems, sorbitrate tablets will be kept free in public places such as railway stations, bus stands and cereal markets as first-aid.

As many as 27 Advance Life Support (ALS) ambulances will be added. At present, 21 are running in the state.

In addition, 47 additional mobile medical units are proposed so that a mobile medical unit can cover at least two community health centres.

From 2020-21, those families whose annual income is less than Rs 1.8 lakh or who have less than 5 acres will also be given benefit equal to Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana so that these families can also avail of health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh.

A full physical examination of all the residents will be done free of cost by the Health Department and that will be linked with the family identity card.

Under Ayush, there is a provision to convert 2,000 gymnasiums into wellness centres.

More in store

• The state government has decided to set up three new government medical colleges in Yamunanagar, Kaithal and Sirsa.
• The number of ventilators in government medical colleges of the state will be increased from 190 to 400.
• Dialysis facility, available in 18 district hospitals, to be extended to all subdivisional hospitals in addition to remaining civil hospitals.
• In all, 27 Advance Life Support ambulances will be added to the existing fleet.