Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday said it is not possible for the state government to fill all the vacant posts in all the departments.

Intervening in reply to a joint question by Congress member Ram Lal Thakur and BJP member Jeet Ram Katwal on the vacant posts in health institutions, the chief minister informed the state Assembly that even in his own Assembly segment so many posts are lying vacant in the health and other departments.

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“The government’s priority is to fill up functional posts first in the departments,” he said.

Thakur said the government will fill the vacant posts of doctors and para medical staff in the health institutions on priority so that there is no shortage of staff.

Thakur said there are six medical colleges in the state and an institution like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is also being opened in the state.

He said it has been possible with the efforts of the state government that the doctors are coming forward to work in remote, challenging areas. He said the government’s policy to give incentives to such doctors has worked. He said the recruitments in the health and family welfare department are underway.

“The government has given priority to the health sector amid Covid and we have made provision of more funds for health infrastructure and staff in the budget,” the CM said.

Earlier, replying to the same question, Health and Family Welfare minister Rajiv Saizal said the state government will write to the Centre to increase the fleet of ambulances. He said the state needs more ambulances urgently.

Saizal said the government has posted specialist doctors in civil hospitals. He said wherever needed, the government will provide specialists based on availability.

In reply to a question by Leader of Oppos i t ion Mukesh Agnihotri, Saizal said 60207 persons were infected wi th Covid in Himachal Pradesh, and the active cases at present were 1024. He said 1003 persons died of Covid in HP. He said so far 1.90 lakh persons have got Covid vaccine and that the vaccination is being undertaken under the guidelines of the central government.

He said one doctor has died of Covid in HP so far and that no other health staff has become its casualty in the state.