All the Primary Health Centres of the State where the posts of doctors are lying vacant would soon be filled up and orders in this regard had been issued.This was stated by Health and Family Welfare Minister Shri Kaul Singh Thakur here today. He said that in case where MBBS doctors were not available to be appointed in such PHCs, the vacancies would be filled in by placing Ayurvedic doctors. The Minister said that State Government had created 160 new posts of doctors out of them 142 had already been filled up. The State Government had given added priority for the appointment of doctors in the medical institutions after it came into power. He said that efforts were being made to fill the posts of the doctors which fall vacant due to the serving doctors who opt for higher studies in the medical colleges within and outside the State said he. Besides, State Government was providing services of specialist doctors especially in far flung areas of the State to strengthen the health care services.
Shri Thakur said that 700 posts of paramedical staff and staff nurses were being filled up to provide adequate staff in all the medical institutions. He said that National Ambulance Service had also been strengthened and 170 ambulances had been pressed into service besides 1.5 lakh families had been brought under the ambit of National Health Insurance Scheme including the MNREGA workers.
Health Minister said that record 24 percent increase in the budget of Health Department had been made by the State Government as compared to previous year and IGMC, Shimla was being upgraded by spending Rs. 140 crore besides a new OPD campus and administrative block was being developed at IGMC. He said that Rs. 16.5 crore were being spent for providing facility of hundred beds at Kamla Nehru Hospital, Shimla and Rs. 25 crore would be spent for upgrading the Cancer Centre. Besides, efforts were on to make super-specialty block of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda functional during this financial year.