Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that though new health institutions would be opened as per the requirement in the state but the emphasis of the government would be on strengthening the existing institutes by providing state of the art facilities, deploying adequate doctors and staff so that the people could get quality health services near to their homes.He was presiding over the Silver Jubilee celebrations (Rajotsav) of Himachal Dental College and Hospital at Himachal Dental College, Sundernagar in Mandi district today.He congratulated the college management, faculty and students for silver jubilee celebrations and said that it was a matter of great contentment that the college had earned a special name and achieved many milestones over the years. He appreciated the efforts of the college for adopting schools for differently abled children, old age homes and various gram panchayats of the area as social responsibility. He expressed happiness that so far more than 700 dental doctors had pass out this college.Jai Ram Thakur said that it was must to create awareness amongst the masses about dental health.He said the government would ensure availability of a dental doctor in every primary health centre in the rural areas in a phased manner.The Chief Minister said state government was according top priority to strengthen the health services up to the rural and far-flung areas for which besides enhancing the infrastructural facilities, emphasis had been laid on filling up the vacant posts of doctors.He said that to strengthen the health services, hundreds of posts of doctors had been filed up and soon more would be filled besides 1000 posts of nurses and 2000 posts of paramedics would be field up at the earliest.
He said Mukhya Mantri Nirog Yojana had been announced to check the basic health parameters at the initial stage to prevent aggravation of any serious ailment.The Chief Minister said the government had also made a budgetary provision of Rs. 10 crore under Mukhya Mantri Chikitsa Kosh to cover the poor and needy with serious ailments.Speaking on the occasion, Health and Family Welfare Minister Vipin Singh Parmar said that opening of Medical University in Ner Chowk Medical College was a great step for strengthening medical education and health services in the state.He said 16 OPD would be established in medical college at Ner Chowk that would go a long way in providing better health facilities to the people of the area.The Health Minister said the state government had filled up 52 posts of Dental doctors and 52 posts of Dental Mechanics and 25 posts of Dental Hygienists would be filled up in near future.MP Ram Swaroop Sharma said the state government was doing a commendable job for strengthening the health services in the state and special emphasis had been laid on filling up vacant posts of doctors and paramedical staff.MLA Rakesh Jamwal thanked the Chief Minister for taking a decision to open Medical University at Ner Chowk in Mandi district.The Chief Minister distributed prizes to the meritorious students of the college who attained various positions in the BDS examination.Urban Development Minister Sarveen Chaudhary, MLA’s Inder Singh Gandhi and Vinod Kumar, former Minister Roop Singh Thakur, BJP Sangathan Mahamantri, Punjab Dinesh Kumar Chairman, Himachal Dental College Dr. V.K Gupta, Directors Vikas Jindal and Dr. Anil Singla and Principal Ranjan Malhotra were also present on the occasion.