Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated Trauma Centre level-II at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda in Kangra district established at a cost of Rs. 10.27 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that Rs. 6 crore have been spent for procurement of machinery and equipments for this Centre, Rs. 1.50 crore for construction works and Rs. 2.77 crore for other allied services.

The CM said that 95 posts of various categories had been sanctioned for this centre including one post of Neurosurgeon, three posts of Anaesthesits, one post Orthopedic surgeon, eight posts of Casualty Medical Officers, 40 posts of Staff Nurse, 16 posts of nursing attendants, five posts of OT Technician, four posts of Radiographer, two posts of Lab Technician and 15 posts of multitask workers. He said that 72 posts had been filled in and the process for filling up the remaining posts was under process.

Later, while presiding over a review meeting of the health officers at the college, Sukhu said that the state government was enhancing the facilities across all the medical colleges in the state in a phased manner. This initiative aims to provide high-quality treatment options within the state, reducing the need for patients to seek expensive treatments elsewhere. He also said that Tanda Medical College, which serves nearly half of the state’s healthcare needs, would be upgraded with the latest technology and modern facilities as approximately 5.89 lakh patients visit the college annually, highlighting the pressing need for these improvements.To support these efforts, he said that a high-end laboratory at Tanda would be established with preparations currently underway.

He assured state government’s full support in delivering top-notch medical services. Sukhu said “We can’t provide the best care with outdated technology. The state government is committed to prioritizing education and healthcare sectors. The Medical colleges can forward their demands and the government will fulfil every request.”The CM said that several positive outcomes from reforms introduced at Tanda Medical College over the past two years had been witnessed, which have greatly benefited patients. “New procedures have been initiated in the cardiology department, including successful valve replacements, congenital heart defect repairs and heart tumour surgeries. Additionally, renal denervation has now been introduced at Tanda,” he added.

He said “The state government has also partnered with AIIMS to procure modern medical equipment. The departments experiencing a high patient volume will see expansions in both doctors and facilities, with walk-in interviews underway to hire doctors and improve the doctor-to-patient ratio. The recruitment of nurses and paramedical staff is also ongoing on” he asserted.