World-class equipment at all medical colleges within 8 months: Himachal CM Sukhu
CM Sukhu says robotic surgery at IGMC to begin from March 10
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said world-class equipment and advanced medical technology would be installed in all medical colleges across the state within the next eight months.
He was speaking after launching the state-level HPV vaccination campaign against cervical cancer at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here. The CM said within the next 90 days, as many as 65,000 girls aged 14 years across Himachal would be administered the HPV vaccine.
Appealing to parents, panchayat representatives and health workers, Sukhu urged collective efforts to ensure the success of the campaign and emphasised the need to generate widespread public awareness about cervical cancer prevention.
“Over the next three years, modern healthcare facilities on the lines of AIIMS will be provided in all zonal hospitals, model health institutions, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs),” he said, adding that around Rs 3,000 crore would be spent on installing high-end medical equipment and machinery.
The CM said the state government aimed to promote health tourism over the next five years, which would benefit not only patients but also doctors, paramedical staff and technicians working in the healthcare sector.
Expressing concern over the rising incidence of cancer in the state, Sukhu said the government was giving special priority to combating the disease. “A state-of-the-art cancer hospital will be constructed in Hamirpur at a cost of Rs 300 crore to ensure affordable and accessible treatment within the state,” he said.
Referring to reforms introduced in the health sector over the past three years, the CM said robotic surgery facilities would be established in all five medical colleges of Himachal. After the launch of robotic surgery at AIIMS Chamiyana Hospital and Tanda Medical College, the facility would also be introduced at IGMC from March 10.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dhani Ram Shandil said the CM was giving special attention to the health and education sectors. He added that unprecedented work was being undertaken in healthcare and that Rs 3,000 crore would be spent on installing advanced medical machinery, which future generations would remember.
