Govt investing Rs 3,000 crore for advanced medical treatment across state: CM Sukhu

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said a Rs 3,000-crore investment was being made by the government in the field of health to provide advanced medical procedures across the state.

He said robotic surgery had been started at Chamiyana and Tanda Medical College, marking a historic first for the state’s public health sector. “There are plans to expand robotic surgical facilities to all medical colleges across the state by early 2026,” he added.

“To bolster specialised care, Rs 5 crore each was allocated to the five premier medical institutions — IGMC-Shimla, medical college at Tanda, Hamirpur and Ner Chowk medical colleges, and Superspeciality Hospital at Chamiyan — for dedicated bone marrow transplant infrastructure (BMT),” he said. The initiative was complemented by the approval of Rs 75 crore for AI-equipped smart labs at IGMC and Tanda, which would significantly reduce diagnostic wait times through automation, he added.

Sukhu said to address the specialised needs of the younger generation, the government had also moved forward with an Advanced Pediatric Centre at AIMSS-Chamiyana to provide world-class child healthcare services within the state. He said the endeavour was to move beyond traditional infrastructure to embrace high-end technology and specialised patient care.

He said the state government’s vision was to ensure that every citizen, from the remote corners of the mountains to the urban centres, received high-quality treatment in Himachal.

Says 202 jobs given on compassionate grounds

Chief Minister Sukhu on Wednesday said the state government had provided given jobs to 202 individuals awaiting appointments on compassionate grounds.

As many as 127 persons were given Class III and IV appointments in the Education Department as JOA (IT) and multi-task workers. Besides, 74 individuals were appointed in the Home Department (70 as JOA (IT), four as Class IV employees) and one in the Prosecution Department.

Terming it as the New Year gift, he said for long, those awaiting appointment on compassionate grounds were ignored during the previous BJP government’s regime. The rightful claims of the families seeking employment on compassionate grounds were overlooked, leaving many in the state of prolonged uncertainty, he said. He added that the state government was committed to providing appointments to the eligible candidates on compassionate grounds to give them a secure life.