Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar during his three-day long visit to New Delhi called on Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and requested for providing Rs. 1160 crores for strengthening various health institutions and improving medical services in state.The Health Minister urged for approving seven more trauma centres for the state with a budgetary provision of rupees three crore per centre. Being a hill state, mortality rate is high due to road accidents, he added. He said that trauma centre of Rampur also requires a budget of Rs. 4 crores.He also demanded Rs. 800 crores to strengthen three district hospitals converted to medical colleges and existing IGMCH, Shimla and added that civil works of various health institutions in state also require a budgetary provision of Rs. 295 crore. He demanded a budget of Rs. 200 crores for providing free diagnostic services to the people of the state.
Vipin Singh Parmar said that state is producing 70 percent of generic medicines of India and Rs. 15 crore have been already sanctioned for establishing Drug Testing Lab at Baddi in Solan district, however an additional budget of Rs. 15 crore is required for setting up the lab. The Composite Testing Lab, Kandaghat in Solan district also requires a grant of Rs. 10 crores to meet the current standards of FSSAI, he said.He apprised that Government of India is supporting the operation cost of only 143 ambulances out of total 198 ambulances being operated under National Ambulance Service (NAS)-108 in the state. He requested for funds for operation of remaining 55 ambulances as Himachal Pradesh has tough geographical conditions and it is not possible to reduce the fleet.Dr. Harsh Vardhan heard the demands patiently and assured to look into them.