Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu admitted on Friday that the health services in Himachal Pradesh need improvement.

The statement was made in response to a question raised by MLA Deep Raj in the Assembly on the third day of the winter session, held at Tapovan (Dharamshala) in Kangra district.

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Stating that the state government is working to improve health services, he also admitted that there is a shortage of staff in almost every health institution in the state, and efforts are being made to address the issue.

He said there is a severe shortage of radiographers, and the recruitment process is underway. He also said that their salaries will be increased.

In response to a question by MLA Deep Raj, the Chief Minister said that 133 tests at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, are conducted free of cost, while 42 tests are free at Kamala Nehru Hospital. He also mentioned that the state government is establishing a Model Health Institute in each Assembly Constituency to ensure the availability of all specialist doctors.

Replying to a question from MLA Ajay Solanki, the Chief Minister said that to tackle the monkey menace in Himachal Pradesh, the state government plans to plant 60 per cent fruit-bearing trees during the rainy season so that monkeys can be shifted to their natural habitats.

“The problem of monkeys entering homes is not new, as people in urban areas have already been facing this problem. Now, people in rural areas have stopped growing crops due to the monkey menace,” he said.

Disclosing that 1.87 lakh monkeys have been sterilised in the state so far, he said that of these, 1,188 monkeys were sterilised in the Nahan Assembly Constituency, and a sterilisation centre is functioning in Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district.

He said that in light of the monkey problem, the central government had granted permission to cull them but religious sentiments came in the way and people did not kill the monkeys.

Sukhu said that instructions have also been issued to protect people from the terror of monkeys, and the public should follow them.

The Chief Minister said that more incidents of monkey attacks on humans are being reported in urban areas, adding that there is also a provision for compensating those affected by such attacks.

The Chief Minister also expressed concern over the problem of stray animals and said that the government is also trying to overcome it.

For this, the government is promoting natural farming to increase the role of animals in agriculture.