Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday announced that the state government would formulate a comprehensive Senior Residency Policy for all medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh, aimed at rationalising senior resident posts and ensuring optimal utilisation of human resources in medical institutions. He was presiding over a high-level joint meeting of the Health Education and Health Departments.
The Chief Minister said that under the proposed policy, the quota for General Duty Officers in senior residency would be increased to 66 percent, compared to the existing 50:50 ratio between GDOs and direct recruitment. He added that this move would help streamline manpower deployment and strengthen academic and clinical services in government medical colleges.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also announced the expansion of MD and MS programmes in additional disciplines at the medical colleges in Chamba, Nahan, Hamirpur and Nerchowk. He said this expansion would significantly enhance the state’s healthcare infrastructure and academic capacity. In addition, super-specialty services would be strengthened through the appointment of Doctorate of Medicine and Master of Chirurgiae specialists in medical colleges.
The Chief Minister further said that state-of-the-art intensive care units equipped with advanced medical technology would be established in all medical colleges to improve critical care facilities. To enhance patient facilitation and service delivery, the government will appoint 1,000 Patient Care Assistants, known as Rogi Mitras, including 500 in medical colleges and 500 in other health institutions. A pilot project will be launched from Hamirpur district, for which a Standard Operating Procedure has already been prepared. In the initial phase, Rogi Mitras will be deployed at Primary Health Centres.
He added that Rogi Mitras would also be deployed on a pilot basis to assist patients above 70 years of age at Chamiyana Hospital, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College Tanda and Indira Gandhi Medical College Shimla. Dedicated Rogi Mitra counters will also be set up in these institutions to facilitate elderly patients.
To improve data management and patient services, Data Entry Operators will be deployed in various OPDs of medical colleges to ensure systematic recording and management of patient-related information. Emphasising the state government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare services, the Chief Minister said that innovative measures along with long-term strategic planning were being implemented to make Himachal Pradesh one of the leading states in the country in the healthcare sector.
Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor (IT, Innovation and Digital Technology), Secretary Health Priyanka Basu Ingty, Special Secretaries Health Ashwani Sharma and Jitender Sanjta, Director Health Education Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Dr. Gopal Beri and other senior officers of the Health and Health Education Departments were present at the meeting.
