34 health institutions to get CT scan machines by December: Himachal Health Minister

Shimla: Health and Family Affairs Minister Dr Col. Dhani Ram Shandil, while chairing a high-power purchase committee meeting, stated that 34 health institutions would soon be equipped with the state-of-the-art CT scan machines.

He said that the procurement and installation of these machines would be completed within three months and by December, 2025, the machines would be installed. "This would offer modern and reliable CT scan services to the people at nearby places and would also reduce their dependence on private service providers," stated the Health Minister.

These machines would be installed in Civil Hospitals Paonta Sahib, Rajgarh, Arki, Nalagarh, Nadaun, Dehra, Jawali, Amb, Chopal, Rohru, Theog, Reckong Peo, Mandi, Bilaspur, Nurpur, Ghumarwin, Karsog, Sundernagar, Sarkaghat, Jogindernagar, Manali, Anni, Bharmour, Chowari and Bhoranj, Zonal Hospitals Dharamshala and DDU Shimla, Regional Hospitals Una, Solan, Keylong and Kullu, MGMSC Khaneri Rampur and various other places.

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The Health Minister said that the modernization and strengthening of health infrastructure and expansion of quality healthcare services across the state was the utmost priority of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. "The Chief Minister has conveyed that the requirements of the health sector would be fulfilled without any financial constraint in order to provide quality services to the patients," said Dr. Shandil, adding that the Chief Minister has asked to prepare a list of health institutions under construction and the budget required to ensure timely construction, along with the staff requirement in the health institutions.

The Chief Minister has ensured that once the estimates are prepared, the government will release adequate funds for construction and equipping them with modern machinery.

Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil added that 5 Phaco machines have been procured for Chamba Medical College, Zonal Hospital Chamba and Civil Hospitals Rohru, Paonta Shahib and Una, and the installation process was underway in most of them.

He said that a mechanism would be developed to ensure that the procurement of medicines and other important medical supplies becomes seamless and faster. He added that as per the present system, such supplies are procured on quarterly basis, which delays the process due to repetitive and frequent paper works and clearance process. "The change in procurement process from the current quarterly basis to a half-yearly basis was under consideration," he remarked.

He added that the government has decided that quality items would be included in the baby care kits and a total number of 18 items would be provided to the newborn babies born in government and private institutions in the state. The samples of these kits have reached the government, and once the quality of these samples is tested by a specialist team, the orders would be placed.

Secretary Health M. Sudha Devi, Advisor (Infrastructure) to the Chief Minister Anil Kapil, Managing Director of the HPMSCL Divyanshu Singal, Director Health Safety and Regulations Jitender Sanjta and other senior officials were present at the meeting.

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