Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has stressed the need for further advancement in health sector so as to overcome the challenges of rising diseases. He said that Himachal Pradesh had one of the best health indicators in the country but State Government was committed to strengthen the health services network upto the remotest areas. The Chief Minister was presiding over the inaugural function of Annual State Conference of ‘Him-Medicon 2014’ organized by State Chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) at Hotel Holiday Home, Shimla on Saturday late evening.
Virbhadra Singh said that Himachal Pradesh had shown creditable improvement in the health sector the credit for which goes to the medical, nursing and paramedical staff. However, with the passage of time and growing population, the diseases too had increased and it had become incumbent upon all of us to improve our research and development segments in our respective fields to overcome the challenges of emerging and re-emerging diseases that were also becoming drug resistant.s
The Chief Minister said that the State government was endeavouring to provide the state of art services even in the remotest places. The State was also introducing Mobile Diagnostics Units which would be having the complete complement of various facilities such as X-Rays, ECG, ultrasound and Lab services. With the difficult geographical terrain, these MDUs would enable people to have access to all these facilities at their door- steps. The government was also providing free services for critical care under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram to all children of schools up to the age of eighteen. The scope of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna has also been widened to include more people such as rag-pickers, street food vendors and contractual employees etc., he added.
He said that the government had made concerted efforts to up- grade the two Govt. Medical Colleges and their associate hospitals in the State. Super Specialty Services were being up-graded with financial assistance from the Govt. of India. Similarly, Kamla Nehru Hospital was being up graded to a full- fledged Mother and Child Hospital. Decongestion of IGMC was also on the cards with a second campus being planned near Ghanahati. New OPD and Administrative Blocks at IGMC, Shimla are being constructed, he said.
He said that with a view to reduce patient load on two premier medical colleges and hospitals, the faculties should reach to secondary institutions like our Zonal Hospitals. He complimented the Neurology Department of both the Medical Colleges for starting project Telestroke and hoped that the outreach services will commence shortly at Solan, Nahan, Hamirpur and Dharamshala. He asked the other departments to follow the similar initiatives. He said that it was appreciable that both medical colleges are tying up with AIIMS, New Delhi and PGI Chandigarh for Tele-education for which the Government would provide all support. Chief Minister said that three Medical Colleges at Chamba, Hamirpur & Mandi have also been approved by the Government of India with financial assistance of Rs. 190 crore each. He said that with the opening of these colleges and another ESI Medical College, Ner Chowk Mandi, the students of the State would benefit immensely.
He congratulated the Indian Medical Association for holding this conference and expressed hope that deliberations in the conference would come up with suggestions which were beneficial for providing the best of medical facilities to entire population.Chief Minister also released a souvenir of IMA and a book titled ‘Some Pages of Doctor’s Diary’ written by Dr. Sushma Kaushal. Dr. Rajeev Rai, President, State IMA welcomed the Chief Minister and detailed about the activities of the IMA. Dr. Atul Mahajan, General Secretary, State IMA presented annual report.Dr. R.J. Mahajan, Organizing Secretary proposed vote of thanks. Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Health Shri Nand Lal, Chairman, H.P Buildings and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Bawa Hardeep Singh, Vice Chairman HIMUDA Shri Yashwant Chhajhta, Chairman, H.P. Board of School Education Shri Balbir Tegta, Advisor to Chief Minister Shri T.G. Negi, Members of IMA and other senior officers were present on the occasion.