Himachal allocates ₹1,800 crore to replace obsolete medical equipment at govt hospitals
Considering the challenges being faced by patients due to old medical machines, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed their replacement to provide better healthcare facilities to them.
The Himachal government has allocated approximately ₹1800 crore to replace obsolete medical machinery and equipment, some of which have been in use for 30 to 40 years in government hospitals, an official statement said on Friday.
Considering the challenges being faced by patients due to old medical machines, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed their replacement to provide better healthcare facilities to them.
Targeting the BJP on the issue, Sukhu said, “As the previous governments failed to address the issue the residents are facing hardships. Delays in treatment often worsen a patient’s condition and increase medical expenses.”
According to health department data, 9.5 lakh patients travel outside Himachal Pradesh annually for treatment, resulting in an economic loss of ₹1350 crore to the state’s GDP. “If quality healthcare services are made available within the state, it is estimated that ₹550 crore of the state GDP could be saved annually, along with valuable time for patients,” said the Chief Minister who has instructed the health department to implement the plan in a time-bound manner.
In line with these directives, the health department has prepared a project report to offer world-class healthcare services in government health institutions.
Sukhu said that the state government will work on four key aspects to revamp public healthcare institutions. First, robotic surgery will be introduced in all medical colleges, along with state-of-the-art radiology and laboratory equipment. Every medical college will be equipped with 3-Tesla MRI machines, 256-slice high-end CT scan machines, PET scan machines, and other advanced diagnostic tools to ensure timely detection of diseases and accurate treatment of the patients. Additionally, modular operation theatres will be set up in these institutions. Sukhu said that the government will establish a 150-bed Cancer Care Center in Hamirpur.
