States » NorthPosted at: Oct 18 2026 7:35PM


Himachal targets 85 pc doctor availability, doubles PG medical seats to 597

Shimla, Oct 18 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday set a target of increasing doctor availability in government medical colleges to 80-85 per cent by next year, while highlighting a significant expansion in postgraduate medical education, with seats across six government medical colleges rising from 277 to 597.
He stated this while replying to media queries, on the sidelines of inauguration of Blocks 1 and 2 of Phase IV of the Armsdale Building at the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat in Shimla.
Sukhu said infrastructure expansion was essential for development and the government was according priority to strengthening public institutions.
Around Rs 9 crore has been spent on the construction of the new Secretariat blocks, and offices would be shifted to the premises shortly, he added.
The Chief Minister further said the addition of 320 postgraduate medical seats would provide young doctors with greater opportunities to pursue specialised education within the state and improve the availability of specialist doctors in government hospitals.
At Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, PG seats had increased from 139 to 230, while Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, had seen an increase from 99 to 156 seats.
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Mandi, now has 79 seats against 24 earlier. At Dr YS Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan, the number has risen from three to 35, while Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba, has 32 seats against four previously. Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, has seen its PG seats increase from eight to 65.
Sukhu said the state government was focusing on strengthening government medical colleges and improving specialised healthcare services so that people could access treatment closer to their homes rather than travelling outside Himachal Pradesh.
He said medical equipment that was around 15 to 20 years old was being replaced with modern machinery, with healthcare institutions being equipped with technology comparable to that available at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
The Chief Minister said doctor availability in the state's medical colleges had stood at around 35 per cent four years ago but had now increased to more than 70 per cent. The government aimed to raise it to between 80 and 85 per cent by next year.
Radiodiagnosis services were also being strengthened, with efforts underway to bring waiting periods for such services down to zero, he added.
Sukhu said the combination of modern medical technology and greater availability of specialist doctors could help people in Himachal Pradesh save approximately Rs 1,000 crore annually by reducing the need to travel outside the state for specialised treatment.
On administrative reorganisation, the Chief Minister said the government had constituted a commission to examine the restructuring of administrative units to improve public convenience and administrative efficiency.
The commission would undertake a detailed study and submit its report, after which the government would take appropriate decisions.
UNI BN
Tags: #Himachal targets 85 pc doctor availability# doubles PG medical seats to 597
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