SHIMLA: Health and Family affairs Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil said that the medical colleges, adarsh swasthya sansthans and other medical institutions would soon be equipped with modern-day health care machines. He said that state-of-the-art equipment and related infrastructure, including CT scan, X-ray, ultrasound, phaco and diagnostic machines would be procured within a month and would be made functional by August, 2025 which would ensure quality health care services across the state.
While chairing a Special High Power Purchase Committee (HPPC) meeting here today, he said that the government had decided that quality items would be added in the baby care kits and a total number of 18 items would be provided to the new born babies born in government and private institutions in the state. The process for procurement of these kits was in final stage and would be available in hospitals in August this year.
Dr. Shandil said that the government had ensured adequate budget for purchase of healthcare machinery. He directed the purchase committee to fast track the procurement process to ensure that in future all the purchases were completed as early as possible to benefit people of the state. Meanwhile, the government was also ensuring complete transparency and accountability in the while procurement process.
The Health Minister said that earlier the people of the state had to move out to neighbouring states in search of better health care. We had qualified and specialist doctors and staff, but our medical equipment was outdated. Once the purchases were finalized, state-run medical institutions in the state would offer equal and even better health services at the door-step for its people. He said that the government was moving ahead with an aim to establish Himachal a model of health tourism, where world class health services would be made available to the people within the state only.
He said that after assuming the power, the state government was working to make healthcare accessible to everyone at their door-steps and for this purpose, 69 adarsh swasthya sansthans, one each in every assembly constituency and two in Lahaul & Spiti were proposed and had been made functional in most of the constituencies. He said that every sansthan had six specialist doctors and with the procurement of the modern-day machines, the institutions would serve as a model of healthcare for other states to follow.