The North News
Shimla, April 9
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday announced an expansion of postgraduate medical seats in all state-run medical colleges and a Rs 3,000 crore investment to modernise healthcare infrastructure. These measures aim to address gaps in specialist care and medical education.
The announcement was made during a Medical Education Department review meeting chaired by Sukhu, where he directed officials to ensure effective healthcare delivery across all state medical institutions.
To address a shortage of faculty, particularly in newer colleges and super-specialist posts at Tanda, Sukhu directed that the retirement age for professors be raised to 65 for three years. He clarified that this extension will not affect ongoing faculty promotions. The government is also structuring the designation of assistant and associate professors, with a focus on strengthening diagnostic departments. In the state’s medical colleges, positions will be filled by November this year, and adequate technical staff will be appointed in parallel to support clinical operations.
On the capital expenditure front, the chief minister announced a commitment of Rs 3,000 crore for modern medical equipment in hospitals and medical colleges. Phase II of Chamba Medical College will launch soon, with Rs 192 crore allocated, and Rs 500 crore set aside for constructing Nahan Medical College. This initiative by the Sukhu government aims to strengthen both medical education and public health delivery in the hill state, where access to specialist care has historically been limited by geographic and infrastructural challenges.
