In a major push to improve healthcare facilities across Himachal Pradesh, the state government has introduced a series of landmark measures to attract and retain specialist doctors in the State. Along with introducing modern technologies and upgrading medical infrastructure in the health institutions, the government has announced substantial increase in stipends for Senior Residents, Specialists, and Super Specialists.
Taking a historic decision, the state government has raised the monthly stipends for these medical specialists by 50 to 170 percent. The stipend for Senior Residents and Tutor Specialists has increased from Rs. 60,000–65,000 to Rs. 1 lakh, while for Super Specialists and Senior Residents (Super Specialists), it has been enhanced from Rs. 60,000–65,000 to Rs. 1.30 lakh.
Currently, Himachal Pradesh boasts six medical colleges and one super-specialty hospital. Institutions like IGMC Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College,Tanda have been providing critical healthcare services with the support of Postgraduate Super Specialists and Senior Resident doctors.
However, of the 751 sanction posts across the state’s medical colleges, only 375 are currently fill, leaving 376 specialist doctor positions vacant, a gap that significantly impacted healthcare delivery. Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, the present state government has taken decisive actions where previous governments fell short.
The enhanced stipend is expect to make government service more attractive to skilled medical professionals, helping bridge this critical gap and strengthening healthcare services at all levels. In another move to attract the medical specialists to the State, doctors on study leave will receive full pay, further supporting their professional development.
Additionally, the state is working to implement international standards for the doctor-nurse-patient ratio and is expediting the recruitment process to meet these benchmarks thereby providing better health care to the people within the State.
According to health department data, 9.5 lakh patients travel outside Himachal Pradesh annually for treatment, resulting in an economic loss of Rs. 1350 crore to the state’s GDP. If quality healthcare services are made available within the state, it is estimated that Rs. 550 crore of the state GDP could be saved annually, along with valuable time for patients.
