Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday laid the foundation stone of 250-bedded hospital of Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur in the presence of Union Health Minister J.P Nadda. He also inaugurated residential block of Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur and performed online foundation of the college campus at village Thai.The building of the medical college would come up at a cost of Rs. 206 crore while a sum of Rs. 1.91 core would be spent on construction of residential block.While addressing a public meeting on the occasion, the Chief Minister said it was a historical day for Hamirpur district as the much awaited medical college had finally been inaugurated. This sixth medical college of the state would have intake of 100 MBBS students. The medical college would facilitate people of around four adjoining districts in providing best health services.He said that state government would always remain indebted to the union government for their liberal financial assistance and fulfilling all demands of this hilly state. He said with the cooperation of the centre, the state had started to witness a revolution in the field of health and other sectors. The previous government just kept showing dreams to the people and made hollow promises but the present government believes in realising the dreams and within a short period of five months, the results could be seen on the ground.
Jai Ram Thakur said the representatives of the Congress party from the state has always failed to take up the issues of the state interest effectively to the union government whereas the member of Parliament of the BJP had been constantly raising issues of railway expansion, construction of national highways, strengthening of health infrastructure, setting up of IIIT, central university and other institutions etc. in the state and all demands had been accepted by the centre.The Chief Minister said the state government was working with a new vision and had started work on small initiatives to take Himachal Pradesh to new heights of development and prosperity.He said with six medical colleges in government sector and one in private sector, around 750 doctors would be available to the state in the coming years which would help in meeting the demand of specialists and medical officers in the state.On the demand of local representatives, he assured that possibilities would be explored to construct bus stand, indoor stadium and parking slots at Hamirpur town. He also assured full support of the government to Senior Citizen Council, Hamirpur for construction of its building.
Union Minister JP Nadda said that the government of India was already ready for expansion of health services in Himachal Pradesh. Despite of less population, four medical colleges, and along-with various other medical institutes AIIMS had also been given to the state which would go a long way in strengthening health network up to the rural areas.He said dialysis facility had been made available in the eight districts of the state and now kidney patients need not to go to PGI, Chandigarh or to other places for dialysis. The government of India has given various health projects to the state including super specialty blocks at IGMC, Shimla and Tanda Medical College, Mother and Child Health centres at Una, Sundernagar, Bilaspur, Mandi, Ghumarwin, Kangra, Chamba and Nurpur besides Tertiary Cancer Centre at Mandi.He said the government of India has launched the ambitious Aayushman Bharat programme in the country under which facility of rupees five lakh annual insurance was being given to 55 crore people for treatment of various serious ailments.The Union Minister assured that the demand of setting up Mother and Child Health centre and Nursing hospital in Hamirpur Medical college complex would be considered in the near future.
Speaking on the occasion, Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal thanked the government of India for providing liberal assistance to Himachal Pradesh for various developmental initiatives. He said the Modi government was always considerate to the demands of the state and in near future the state was bound to get many more major projects.Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar said that it was the resolve of the state government to provide best health facilities to the people. The government was ensuring that the doctors are available in every health institute to facilitate the people. He said 272 posts of Medical Officers and 52 Dental doctors had been filled up in the state and shortly 200 posts of Ayurvedic Medical Officers, 1007 posts of nurses and 2000 paramedics would be filled up near future. He added that dialysis facility had also been started at 12 places in the state.Member of Parliament Anurag Thakur thanked the Chief Minister and Union Health Minister for gifting medical college to Hamirpur. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister for sanctioning AIIMS in Bilaspur district and PGI Satellite Centre in Una district. He extended his gratitude to the government of India for approving IIIT, Engineering college, central university and many other institutions for the state and medical colleges for the state besides 25 National Highways for Hamirpur parliamentary segment alone.Local MLA Narender Thakur presented the vote of thanks and thanked the Chief Minister for giving added priority for strengthening of health services, maintenance of roads, augmentation of irrigation and drinking water supply schemes in the area.Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Virender Kanwar, MLAs Subhash Thakur, Rajender Garg and Kamlesh Kumari, former MLAs Baldev Sharma and Vijay Agnihotri, Hamirpur District BJP President Anil Sharma, OSD to the CM Virender Dharmani, Media Advisor to the CM Rohit Sawal, Additional Chief Secretaries BK Aggarwal and Dr. Srikant Baldi, Director Medical Education Dr. Ashok and other senior officers of the state government were present on the occasion.