CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while chairing a Health Department review meeting on Thursday evening, said the Himachal Pradesh government would provide Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) to super-speciality doctors to further strengthen healthcare services in the state.
He said the government was committed to providing quality healthcare within the state and there was no shortage of funds for modernising the health sector. According to Sukhu, several initiatives undertaken over the past three and a half years to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and services had begun yielding positive results.
The chief minister said the government had held multiple rounds of discussions with doctors regarding healthcare reforms. He added that he would personally visit various health institutions in the coming months and interact with doctors to formulate a roadmap for further improvements in the sector.
Sukhu said all medical colleges in the state were being strengthened through the recruitment of adequate staff and the provision of advanced medical equipment comparable to that available at AIIMS New Delhi. He said the state government was investing around Rs 3,000 crore in procuring modern medical machinery and equipment.
He further stated that healthcare facilities at zonal and regional hospitals in districts without medical colleges were being upgraded to provide better treatment to patients.
The chief minister said recruitment drives were underway to address shortages of doctors, paramedical staff and technicians in health institutions. He added that robotic surgery had been introduced in the state due to the government's efforts, enabling patients to access advanced treatment locally instead of travelling outside Himachal Pradesh at considerable expense.\
Sukhu also directed the Health Department to categorise all Community Health Centres (CHCs) according to population coverage so that staffing and infrastructure could be aligned with actual requirements. He said the move would help ensure quality healthcare services were available closer to people's homes.
The chief minister also reviewed the status of ongoing recruitment processes in the department.
The announcement assumes significance as the state government had, in February this year, barred doctors serving in government medical colleges and hospitals from engaging in private practice. According to a notification issued by the Health Secretary, government doctors are not permitted to undertake private consultations or laboratory-related work.
The government had also decided that Non-Practising Allowance (NPA) would not apply to doctors and faculty members recruited in the Department of Medical Education and Research on or after May 24, 2023.
The decision was seen as an effort to enforce stricter service conditions, improve transparency and ensure greater availability of doctors in public institutions. It followed repeated complaints that some doctors were prioritising private practice over their responsibilities in government hospitals.