Question Hour: Medical device, bulk drug parks to boost research in Himachal

The Himachal health minister said government vide notification February 22, 2019, formulated guidelines for Research Grant Programme (RGP) in government medical and dental colleges of the state. For each research project, specific budgetary provision has been prescribed within the department and based on the demands of the colleges concerned.

In a bid to boost medical research in the state, the department of medical education & research has initiated a plan under which intramural research fund was established in 2016-17 through which financial support is provided to faculty of medical and dental colleges for research, health and family welfare minister Dhani Ram Shandil said on Thursday.

Health and family welfare minister Dhani Ram Shandil said the department of medical education & research has initiated a plan under which intramural research fund was established in 2016-17 through which financial support is provided to faculty of medical and dental colleges for research. (HT File)

He was replying to a question asked by Congress’ Gagret MLA Chaitanya Sharma. He said the government vide notification February 22, 2019, formulated guidelines for Research Grant Programme (RGP) in government medical and dental colleges of the state. For each research project, specific budgetary provision has been prescribed within the department and based on the demands of the colleges concerned.

Further the state government is going to set up medical devices park (MDP) and bulk drug park (BDP), wherein the state-of-the-art requisite laboratories such as 3D design, rapid prototyping, tooling lab, mechatronics, medical robotic lab and sensor testing & integration facility etc. would be set up, which would boost medical research.

As regards detail of plans to increase investment in pharmaceutical sector, the estimated investment in the upcoming medical devices park & bulk drug park is more than ₹5,000 crore and ₹8,000 crore respectively, said the minister.

In reply to another question raised by Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania, the health minister informed the House that there are 147 ventilators available in Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Tanda, of which 132 are in working condition. There is one CT scan machine which is also in working condition.

At present, as many as four doctors have been deputed from RPGMC Tanda to other Institutions of the State. In addition, 34 faculty members/doctors from RPGMC, Tanda have been deployed in other medical colleges as a stop gap arrangement, in view of National Medical Commission (NMC) inspection. Replying to supplementary raised by Rampur Bushahr MLA Nand Lal and Badsar MLA Inderdutt Lakhanpal, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu that his government was keen to impro e the health service in the state. He said that PET scan facilities will be added in IGMC and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College

In reply to a question asked by Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri, the Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that a total 16 houses were damaged beyond the Right of Way (ROW) due to construction of Solan-Parwanoo national highway but no water bodies or paths have been damaged.

An amount of Rs. 4,35,12,280/- has been paid as compensation in respect of 14 damaged houses, whereas compensation in respect of remaining two houses is pending, said the minister.

While replying to a question Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that government had given permission to fill 870 posts of physical education teachers in the year 2021 and necessary guidelines regarding recruitment and distribution of posts were issued to the all the Deputy Directors of Elementary Education were issued on September 20, 2021.

In the meantime a Civil Writ Petition was filed in the High Court by a candidate. The court ordered a stay on the recruitment process on August 26, 2021 due to which the posts could not be filled up.

However, the government has accorded approval to recruit the petitioners on the basis of old Recruitment and Promotion Rules as per the orders of the High Court. The recruitment process will be subject to the final decision on the Letter Patent Appeal Filed in the High Court, said the education minister.

He said that the government also plans to fill the backlog of physical education teachers as per the rules.

He said a total of 256 posts of PET were filled in the state from October 2018 to July 2019 and there is a backlog of 230 posts.