Union Health Minister, Gulam Nabi Azad today inaugurated rupees 150 crore Super Speciality Hospital Block at Doctor Rajender Prasad Government Medical College, (RPGMC), Tanda through Video Conferencing from Mandi today. Shri Azad was to go to RPGMC today along with the Chief Minister, Shri Virbhadra Singh and State Health Minister, but due to adverse weather condition the trio could not fly from Mandi.
Earlier, Sh Azad laid foundation stone of Rs. 17 crore 100 bedded Mother-Child hospital at Zonal Hospital Mandi. Later, addressing the gathering at Zonal Hospital (ZH) campus Mandi, , Union Minister said that Government of India (GoI) has doubled the budget allocation in health Sector for the States of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh. He said that because of tough geographical topography of these hilly states the development works become difficult to carry out in stipulated working period. He said that as he himself belongs to Doda area of J&K, and he better realizes the problems being faced by hilly areas as the working period in comparison to other States is limited to only six to seven months.
Union minister announced to set up two Trauma Centers in the hospitals of the State besides a burn Centre/unit at IGMC Shimla. “I wanted to see Himachal Pradesh emerging as a Model State in every sphere of development and especially in Health Sector in next four years” said Shri Azad. He said that as many as six health institutions equivalent to AIIMS has been developed in the Country with super specialized facilities like Oncology, Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Neurology Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Gastroenterology, Cardiology and Urology etc of which Tanda is one. A similar Super Speciality hospital worth Rs 150 crore would be developed in Shimla. “This will give relief to the people of the State who otherwise had to rush to PGIMER Chandigarh or AIIMS Delhi for specialized treatment”, said he. From last two years the GoI has been contributing in 90:10 for Himachal Pradesh in Health Sector under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), while the other States were getting assistance in 75:25 ratio.He said that two cancer institute’s would be set up in Shimla and Mandi, besides financial aid of Rs 190 crore each would be provided to set up Medical Colleges in backward and bordering districts of Chamba and Nahan district hospitals.
Lauding the Chief Minister initiatives in overall development of the State, he said that it was due to his farsightedness and dynamic leadership that the State was marching rapidly on the path of progress. Besides, “Pandit Sukhram Ji,who hailed from Mandi, had brought revolution in telecommunication sector and it was a matter of pride for all of us that Himachal was first such State in the Country which excelled in Telecom sector where every village had telephone connectivity”, said he.A revolution has been brought in Health Sector in the country from the past one decade and especially during the UPA regime. He said that our government focused on strengthening the basic infrastructure in Health sector by opening more avenues in this sector. He said that as many as 18000 hospitals were opened during 2004-09, while 35000 health such institutes were opened during his Health Minister’s tenure, said Sh. Azad. Apart from this the norms of Medical Council of India (MCI) and Nursing council were amended so as to recruit more Specialist doctors, MBBS doctors and Nurses including other paramedic staff.
Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister, Shri Virbhadra Singh thanked the Union health Minister for providing liberal assistance to the State of HP for strengthening the health infrastructure and providing easy access to health facilities to the poor people nearer to their homes. Shri Virbhadra Singh said that it was his dream coming true that RPGMC was being developed as a complete health township having all modern facilities and equipments. “I always wanted to see Tanda Medical Hospital and College to become a prestigious Health institute of the Country along-with IGMC Shimla, and I can foresee that my Dream Project was being transformed in reality” said the CM. He said that he don’t differentiate in the field of development and likewise besides opening of states premier health institutes in Shimla and Kangra, He proposed to set up ESI medical College and Hospital at Ner Chowk in District Mandi to cover the central Zone. He said that ESI has also been linked with Zonal Hospital Mandi for academic purposes and would soon be made functional.He said that Shri Azad well realizes the problems of alike hill States and the people of the State were grateful to him for announcing two medical colleges for Chamba and Nahan besides strengthening the two super-specialty hospitals in the State and providing liberal financial assistance for developing adequate requisite health infrastructure.
The Chief Minister said that with the starting of Super Specialty block at Tanda the people of adjoining districts of Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Hamirpur and Una will get better treatment at affordable rates. He said that to develop health sector was my Governments top priority and to achieve this objective Rs 1050 crore has been earmarked in the present budget for this sector. He said steps were being taken to decongest IGMC premises and a new campus was proposed to be set up at Ghannatti in Shimla to house Dental and Nursing colleges with an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore. Chief Minister said that Kamla Nehru Hospital, Shimla would also be developed as a full-fledged Mother –Child hospital having all tertiary level services for mother and child. This would be second such hospital in the State along with the one at Mandi, the foundation stone of which has been laid today.
Earlier, Health Minister, Kaul Singh Thakur welcomed the Union Minister and the Chief Minister and said that the people of the State would remember the Union Minister, Shri Gulam Nabi Azad for his special interest and assistance to the State. He counted the ongoing and proposed projects in Health Sector in the state. He said that Rs 45 crore each, would be spent to establish two Cancer hospitals at Mandi and Shimla.Transport Minister, while interacting with the Union Minister and the Chief Minister through Video-conferencing, thanked them for dedicating super-specialty hospital at Tanda and requested to visit Kangra district on 8th of March, 2014 when Vice-President of Indian National Congress, Sh Rahul Gandhi will be addressing the people of the State at Dharamsala. He requested to open Trauma Centre at Dr. RPGMC and to increase the MBBS seats from 100 to 150 at both Government colleges viz: RPGMC and IGMC.ACS, Sh. Vineet Chaudhary, proposed Vote of thanks through video-conferencing from Tanda.DME Dr. Jayshree, Principal, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College and Hospital, Tanda Dr. Anil Chauhan, faculty and staff of the college were also present during the video conferencing.Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Sh Anil Sharma, CPS, Sh. Sohan Lal, president DCC, Mandi Sh. Puran Chand Thakur and other dignitaries of the town were present on the occasion amongst others.