The State Government will introduce the Medical University Bill in upcoming Vidhan Sabha session commencing from tomorrow said Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh while addressing on the occasion of inauguration of Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Pharmacy outlet and foundation stone laying ceremonies of Super Specialty Block of IGMC and Tertiary Care Cancer Centre at IGMC here today
He thanked the Union Health Minister for the assistance extended for strengthening health infrastructure in the state, adding that however, it was the moral duty of the Government of India to distribute funds equally to all the States rather than percolating the maximum to the Union Territories. He said that the government was committed to modernise the health services so as to provide quality treatment and best medicines to the patients and the people of the state.
He said that lots of technological advancements had been made in health sector and the students needs to be updated with these most recent techniques. Hence, it becomes necessary that we should equip our medical colleges and hospitals with latest gadgets and equipments. The latest gadgets improved the efficiency and creates confidence in the medical fraternity.
Apart from three medical colleges, an AIIMS is coming up at Bilaspur for which adequate land has been transferred in the name of Union MoH, he said hoping that the work on AIIMS would begin soon.
He said that the second campus of IGMC at Chamiana would ease the load on existing IGMC hospital and with the upcoming of super specialty block lot of relief would be there for the people of the state.
The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh had become the first State in South East Asia to launch six new health schemes, including Electronic Health Card, scheme for free insulin for diabetic patients below 18 years of age under universal immunization programme.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda while speaking on the occasion said that the Union government had decided for early detection and universal screening of cancer besides other tests of various diseases. It would be made mandatory for every Indian citizen, of 30 years of age, to undergo universal screening for cancer which would be introduced within two or three months.
He said that the Union Ministry of Health had provided two tertiary care Cancer Centre for Shimla and Mandi costing Rs 45 lakh each and the foundation stone of Tertiary Care Cancer Centre at Mandi would be laid soon.
The AMRIT shops were opened to provide relief to the patients by providing them the medicine at 60 to 90 percent subsidy and will purchase these medicines directly from the manufacturers,
He said that AMRIT outlets would be digitally managed and the one opened in IGMC was the 100th. Though AMRIT, we have provided relief of around 170 crore to as many 32.65 lakh patients by providing them cheap medicine. He said that the medicine worth Rs. 300 crore were sold to patients for Rs.130 crore thereby benefitting them by Rs. 170 crore.
Congratulating the faculty he said that 87 super specialty blocks had been adopted by Union government in the country so far and the super specialty block at Chamiana will house new specialty wings as cardiology, Renal transplant, plastic surgery, pediatric surgery, nephrology, neurology, neuro surgery, gastroenterology, etc. Besides, nine modular operation theatres would be there with cameras installed to enable the students to view the operations live while sitting in their class rooms. We will complete this super specialty block within two years he said, adding that 18 post graduate seats would be enhanced for the super specialty block, Chamiana.
The Minister said that the Union Government was interested for starting Pradhan Mantri Dialysis Yojna in the state even at sub-divisional level and the rates would also be freezed for common man besides providing free dialysis for BPL patients. The Union Minister urged the state government for submitting the proposal to Union Health Ministry as soon as possible.
He said that the stent which used to cost around rupees one lakh would now be replaced at the cost of Rs 12, 600 and the stent which was provided at the rate of rupees two lakh would now cost Rs 29,600. He said that the knee replacement which used to cost Rs. 1.60 lakh would now be available at Rs. 54,700 and the improvised replacement of knee which used to cost Rs. 2.05 lakh would now be available at Rs. 76,600. The prices have been freezed to benefit the common man and the poor.
He said that IGMC was a well known medical college and hospital as even director of AIIMS, New Delhi, and director of PGIMER, Chandigarh were alumni of IGMC.
Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur while addressing the gathering said that the Health scenario of Himachal was far better than any other state. He said that the standard of education of IGMC was par excellence. The Health department however depends mostly on the Union Health Ministry for Central schemes and I am thankful to Shri Nadda for being benevolent towards funding for Himachal Pradesh. Himachal government is committed to strengthen the health services in the rural areas of the state as 90 percent of the population resides in rural areas, he said.
He said he was thankful to the former Union Health Minister Gulab Nabi Azad who sanctioned three medical colleges for the state and also thankful to JP Nadda for giving special attention to the state and to increase the budget under National Health Mission.
The Minister said that as of now 120 Primary Health Centre (PHCs) were opened in rural areas and 45 PHC were upgraded to Community Health Centres (CHCs) and 32 CHC have been upgraded to civil hospitals during the last three years, he revealed. As of today as many as 630 new doctors were required to fill the vacancies. Himachal is forging to become pharmacy hub of the country as medicines worth 33thousand crore were being manufactured in Himachal and being exported also, he said. He also urged for expediting construction of AIIMS in Bilaspur and for speeding up work of Tertiary Care Cancer Centre at Mandi.
Member of Parliament, Virendra Kashyap, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Health), Nand Lal, MLAs Anirudh Singh & Suresh Bharadwaj, Mayor, Kusum Sadret, Former Ministers, Narinder Bragta and Rajiv Bindal, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health, Navdeep Renwa, Additional Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Pankaj Rai, Principal IGMC, Dr. Ashok Sharma, MS, IGMC, Ramesh Chand, were also present on the occasion amongst medical fraternity.
