The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly witnessed a sharp political face-off on Thursday as the issue of doctors’ recruitment led to an intense debate between Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.
Sukhu assured that all Primary Health Centres would have doctors within six months, noting that 162 doctors have been recruited and 236 more are in the pipeline. He said most sanctioned posts are filled, with efforts ongoing to address remaining vacancies.
He also highlighted challenges in absorbing all medical graduates due to the high number of colleges and announced steps to boost specialist availability, including starting postgraduate courses in Chamba, Nahan, and Hamirpur.
Jai Ram, however, disputed the figures, alleging delays and claiming the government took over two years to fill pending posts. He also flagged the lack of data on unemployed doctors.
Health Minister Col. Dhani Ram Shandil said the state cannot currently provide jobs to all graduating doctors. The Chief Minister also announced stricter recruitment norms and said Rs 3,000 crore is being spent on upgrading medical infrastructure across the state.
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