Bilaspur : Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today attended the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS Bilaspur and congratulated the graduating students on receiving their degrees, wishing them a bright and successful future.
Welcoming President Droupadi Murmu to the state, the Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh is not only a Dev Bhoomi but also a Veer Bhoomi. He said the state’s temples, folk traditions and centuries-old cultural heritage have given the state a distinct identity. He said that the people of Bilaspur had also endured the pain of displacement as part of the price paid for nation-building and development. Built in accordance with the development vision of the country’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Bhakra Dam is not only a symbol of development and economic prosperity but also reflects the sacrifice and contribution of the people of Bilaspur, he added.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has accorded the highest priority to education and health during the last three-and-a-half years. The government’s objective is to provide the people of Himachal Pradesh with quality and advanced healthcare services within the state itself.
He said that advanced diagnostic facilities, including 3-Tesla MRI, PET scan, high-end X-ray and ultrasound machines, have been made available in the state on the lines of AIIMS Delhi. The government is committed to ensuring that world-class healthcare services are not confined to cities but also reach people living in remote and far-flung areas. Efforts are therefore being made to continuously expand these facilities across the state, he added.
Sh. Sukhu said that robotic surgery has been introduced in medical colleges of the state. Advanced procedures that were earlier largely accessible only at expensive private hospitals are now being made available in government healthcare institutions as well. He said that this initiative would particularly benefit common people and economically weaker sections of society.
The Chief Minister further said that Himachal Pradesh earlier had only 277 postgraduate medical seats, and the state government is now making efforts to increase this number by 320 additional PG seats. He sought the support of Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda in this regard. He said that the state has also started North India’s first college offering paramedical and allied courses, aimed at creating a pool of trained technical manpower for the healthcare sector. In addition, efforts are underway to establish an Ayurvedic hospital on the lines of AIIMS, he added.
Sh Sukhu said that strengthening the healthcare system and ensuring access to modern treatment for people across the state remains a key priority of the government.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, MP Harsh Mahajan, MLAs Randhir Sharma, Jeet Ram Katwal and Trilok Jamwal, AIIMS Chairman N.K. Arora, Executive Director, AIIMS Bilaspur, Lieutenant General Daljit Singh, Secretary Health Ashish Singhmar and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
