Himachal take exemplary initiatives for modernization and expansion of health services

Shimla June २९

·3.27 crore OPD patients receive quality health services in two years

To assess the development of any society, community, state or nation, one must thoroughly examine the state of its education and health systems. The one that excels in these sectors, integrates modern technologies and embraces innovation are likely to be the most powerful and resilient economy of the future. Investments made on transforming crucial sectors like education and healthcare benefit generations for decades.

With this in mind, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while ensuring the judicious use of the state’s resources, has prioritized the modernization of key sectors like health and education. Given the challenging geographical landscape in Himachal Pradesh, delivering healthcare services to people in remote villages requires extraordinary commitment and dedication. Within a brief tenure of two and a half years, the government has taken various decisions and launched revolutionary schemes, resulting in widespread improvement and expansion of state-of-the-art healthcare services across the state.

Currently, the state government is delivering quality healthcare to citizens at their doorstep through 2,926 government health institutions across Himachal. These include six medical colleges, three zonal hospitals, nine regional hospitals, 92 civil hospitals, 107 community health centers, 585 primary health centers and 2,116 sub-health centers, among others.

The government has its focus on need-based expansion of the capacities of the health institutions across the state, including remote areas. Civil Hospital Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti district has been upgraded from a 20-bed to a 50-bed facility. Civil hospitals in Sujanpur, district Hamirpur, Sunni, district Shimla, and Haroli, district Una, have been upgraded from 50 to 100 beds. The ESIC Hospital in Gagret, district Una, has been notified as a Civil Hospital.

Furthermore, new block medical offices have been notified at Baddi, district Solan, Jai Singhpur and Dehra, district Kangra. In Sirmaur district, three new sub-health centers have been opened at Thoda Jakhal, Uthari, and Naya Pajor, and two new primary health centers have been set up at Kotapab and Halah. Another PHC has been opened in Mamlig village of Basheel gram panchayat in Sirmaur. The PHC at Diggal in Solan district has been upgraded to a Community Health Center.