Sukhu Inaugurates Phase IV of Armsdale Building at HP Secretariat; PG Medical Seats Increased to 597.
Shimla:
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday inaugurated Blocks 1 and 2 of Phase IV of the Armsdale Building at the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat. Approximately ₹9 crore has been spent on the construction of the new blocks, which are expected to accommodate government offices shortly.
Emphasising the importance of infrastructure development, the Chief Minister said the state government was according top priority to expanding and strengthening infrastructure to improve administrative efficiency and public services.
Speaking to mediapersons after the inauguration, Sukhu highlighted the government’s achievements in strengthening medical education and healthcare services. He said postgraduate (PG) medical seats across the state’s six government medical colleges had increased from 277 to 597, marking an addition of 320 seats.
At Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, PG seats had increased from 139 to 230, while Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, had seen an increase from 99 to 156 seats.
Similarly, the number of PG seats at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Mandi, had risen from 24 to 79. Dr. YS Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan, had increased its seats from three to 35, while Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba, had expanded its intake from four to 32 seats. At Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, PG seats had increased from eight to 65.
The Chief Minister said the expansion would provide young doctors with greater opportunities to pursue specialised medical education within Himachal Pradesh while improving the availability of specialist doctors in government hospitals.
He said the state government was committed to ensuring access to specialised healthcare services closer to people’s homes. Along with strengthening healthcare infrastructure, the government was introducing modern medical technology and upgrading equipment in hospitals and medical colleges.
Sukhu said medical equipment that was 15 to 20 years old was being replaced with modern machinery. Healthcare institutions were being equipped with facilities comparable to those available at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), he added.
Highlighting improvements in medical staffing, the Chief Minister said that four years ago, the availability of doctors in the state’s medical colleges stood at only 35 per cent. The present government had increased this figure to more than 70 per cent, and the target was to raise doctor availability to between 80 and 85 per cent by next year.
He also said radiodiagnosis services were being strengthened, with efforts underway to reduce waiting periods to zero.
According to the Chief Minister, improved healthcare infrastructure, the availability of specialists and the adoption of modern technology would significantly reduce the need for patients to travel outside Himachal Pradesh for specialised treatment. This, he said, could help people save approximately ₹1,000 crore annually.
Administrative Reorganisation Under Consideration
Replying to another question, Sukhu said the state government had constituted a commission to examine the reorganisation of various administrative units in Himachal Pradesh.
He said the commission would conduct a detailed study, keeping public convenience and administrative efficiency in mind, and submit its report to the government. Further decisions would be taken after examining its recommendations.
MLA Harish Janartha, Shimla Municipal Corporation Mayor Surender Chauhan, Principal Adviser (Media) to the Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, Officer on Special Duty Ritesh Kaprate, HIMCON Chairman Vikesh Chauhan, municipal councillors, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, Director of Information and Public Relations Rajiv Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police Mehar Panwar, Chief Engineer Vijay Chaudhary, representatives of various organisations and other dignitaries were present at the inauguration.
