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Himachal PradeshChief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today held an interaction with dental doctors to discuss measures to strengthen and improve dental services in the state.
During the interaction, the Chief Minister reiterated the state government's commitment to offer world-class, accessible and technologically advanced health care services to the people of the State. Sukhu stated that the state government had already released Rs. 5.10 crore in the first phase for strengthening dental health care services and announced an additional allocation of Rs. 18 crore for further strengthening dental infrastructure in the state. He said that the Government would provide advanced equipment to Rajiv Gandhi Government Dental College, Shimla, including high-end dental chairs, CBCT machines, intraoral scanners and operation theatre tables. He said that these advanced facilities would not only enhance the working efficiency of the dental professionals but also ensure better diagnosis and treatment of patients. He assured that adequate para-medical staff would be deployed to support dental doctors in delivering efficient health care services. He also emphasised the need to strengthen dental radiology services through the provision of modern equipment. The Chief Minister said that a state-of-the-art Dental College and Centre of Excellence was being established at Hamirpur with an estimated cost of Rs. 600 crore. He said that the state government is also exploring the possibilities of constructing a new campus for the dental college at Chamiyana. He said that senior residency policy would also be implemented in dental colleges to strengthen academic and clinical services. He further said that lecturers would be promoted to the post of Assistant Professor, thereby creating better career progression for dental faculty. He added that an anesthesiologist would be made available at the dental college Shimla and dental chairs would also be installed in Trauma Centres to facilitate timely dental treatment in emergency situations. Sukhu assured the deployment of multi-task workers with the dental doctors to assist them in their functioning in PHCs, CHCs and District Hospitals. He said that several important issues had emerged during the interaction and the Government was committed to addressing their concerns. He further said that the Government was considering granting NPA to the dental doctors. He also asked the dental doctors to make optimum use of modern technology for transforming the quality of dental health care in the state. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr (Col) Dhani Ram Shandil, while appreciating the Chief Minister's initiatives, said that the Chief Minister had consistently accorded priority to strengthening health care infrastructure across the state. He said that technological upgradation would be undertaken not only in medical colleges but also in dental colleges to ensure better health care delivery. He thanked the Chief Minister for providing an additional Rs. 18 crore for improving dental services in the state. Secretary Health Ashish Singhmar, Director Health Services Dr Gopal Beri and other senior officers were also present on the occasion. (ANI)
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