The two-day long 34th Annual Conference of Northern Chapter of Association of Surgeons of India (NC-ASICON) organised by department of surgery, IGMCH, Shimla began on Saturday.Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar inaugurated the CME-cum live workshop on colorectal surgery in which demonstration of surgeries of cancers of large gut and gall bladder stone disease was shown live from the operation theatre.Speaking on the occasion, the Health Minister said that the state government was committed to provide best health care services to the people of the state nearer to their homes and this year provision of Rs. 2302 crores has been made for health sector which is Rs. 582 crores more than previous year's budget allocation.He said the state government has also launched the Aayushman Bharat Yojana of the government of India which would benefit around 22 lakh people of the state. The Mukhya Mantri Aashirwad Yojana has also been launched to encourage institutional deliveries and a baby kit worth Rs. 1500 is also being given to new born thereby benefitting around one lakh new born every year.Vipin Singh Parmar said that it was a matter of great pride that Himachal Pradesh has been recently awarded four prizes for remarkable achievements in the health sector. The state has been given two prizes for registering maximum decline in the mortality rate of newborn and children age below five years.
He said state has succeeded in declining infant mortality rate by 15.8 percent and that of children below five years of age by 18.2 percent.He said the third prize has been given for effective implementation of e-health card in the state while fourth prize for outstanding work with Goa, Karnataka and Lakshadweep in providing internal patient services.Vipin Singh Parmar said the state government is committed for making Himachal Pradesh as the model state in the health sector for which various initiatives have been taken during last ten months.Professor A.K. Malhotra, Head of Department of Surgery, IGMCH in his welcome address said that since its inception, the surgery department has evolved with time and has kept pace with development in surgical filed. It is a matter of great contentment that till now 149 medical surgery students have passed out from this department and are providing quality surgical care by serving at various hospitals across the state.Professor D.K. Verma delivered the vote of thanks.About 150 delegates from different states and abroad are participating in this conference. The visiting faculty is Dr. Rajesh Bhojwani from Jaipur, Dr. Pradeep from Delhi, Dr. VivekSrivastava from Varanasi, Dr. M. Sahu from Varanasi, Dr. Vikas Gupta and Dr. G.R. Verma from PGIMER, Chandigarh, Dr. Ashok Attri and Dr. Dalal from Medical college Chandigarh, Dr. Sanjeev Prasad from Rohtak, Dr. Anil Kotru from USA and Dr. Abbey from Muzzafarnagar.