Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation stone of an ultra-modern critical care block to be constructed at the new campus of Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, at Jol Sapper near the district headquarters at an estimated cost of around Rs. 35 crore.
Later, he inspected the newly constructed hospital block, academic block and other under-construction buildings on the campus. He issued directions to officials of the CPWD, the PWD and the Medical College regarding the timely completion of ongoing works and quality assurances.
The Chief Minister instructed them to expedite the process of handing over the hospital and academic blocks to the Medical College administration and to complete the shifting of various college and hospital departments to Jol Sapper at the earliest. The Chief Minister stated that the functioning of these important departments at Jol Sapper would commence in the first week of July.
He also held detailed discussions with officials regarding other issues related to the Medical College and concerns raised by local residents. He said that the state government would provide Rs. 150 crore for the modernization of laboratories in medical colleges across the state.
This funding would be used to install state-of-the-art equipment and machines in the laboratories. He added that decades-old machines and equipment at the Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla and the Medical College at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College would be replaced with the latest technology and equipment.
The Chief Minister further stated that the state government was undertaking large-scale recruitment of doctors, professors, nurses and other healthcare staff. This would ensure adequate staffing in all medical colleges and healthcare institutions, and help provide better medical services to the public.
On this occasion, Medical College Principal Dr. Ramesh Bharti, along with officials from the CPWD and the PWD, briefed the Chief Minister on the latest status of the various construction works underway at the new campus.
Those present on the occasion included Ayush, Law, Youth Services and Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma, MLAs Suresh Kumar and Captain Ranjit Singh, Chairman of the State Agricultural Marketing Board Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Chairman of the Kangra Cooperative Primary Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ram Chandra Pathania, State Drug De-addiction Board Coordinator and Advisor Naresh Thakur, Vice Chairman of the OBC Finance and Development Corporation Mohan Lal, OBC Commission member Rajiv Rana, APMC Chairman Ajay Sharma, District Congress President Suman Bharti, senior party leaders Dr. Pushpendra Verma and Subhash Dhatwalia, Deputy Commissioner Gandharva Rathore, Superintendent of Police Balveer Singh and other officials.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister also met members of the public at the Circuit House in Hamirpur and listened to their grievances and concerns.