Sukhu Attends First AIIMS Bilaspur Convocation, Reaffirms Education, Health Priorities

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu attended the first convocation ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bilaspur and congratulated the graduating students on receiving their degrees. He wished them a bright and successful future and said that education and health have remained the state government’s highest priorities during the past three and a half years.

Speaking at the ceremony in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu said the government was committed to ensuring that the people of the state received quality and modern healthcare facilities within Himachal Pradesh itself. He said the objective was also to take world-class medical services beyond the cities and make them available to people living in remote and difficult areas.

Welcoming the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, to Himachal Pradesh, the Chief Minister said the state was not only Devbhoomi, or the land of gods, but also Veerbhoomi, the land of the brave. He said the temples, folk traditions and centuries-old cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh had given the state a distinct identity.

Sukhu also referred to the history of Bilaspur and the sacrifices made by its people. He said the people of Bilaspur had endured the pain of displacement as a cost of nation-building and development. Built in line with the development vision of the country’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Bhakra Dam was not merely a symbol of development and economic prosperity, he said. It also reflected the sacrifice and contribution of the people of Bilaspur.

The Chief Minister said advanced diagnostic facilities had been made available in Himachal Pradesh on the lines of AIIMS Delhi. These facilities include 3-Tesla MRI, PET scan, high-capacity X-ray and ultrasound machines. He said efforts were being made to continuously expand such facilities across the state.

According to the Chief Minister, the state government was committed to ensuring that high-quality health services did not remain limited to urban centres. He said people living in far-flung and inaccessible areas should also be able to benefit from modern healthcare facilities.

Sukhu said robotic surgery had been started in the medical colleges of Himachal Pradesh. Treatments that were earlier available mainly at expensive private hospitals were now being made available at government health institutions as well, he said. The initiative would particularly benefit the general public and economically weaker sections, the Chief Minister added.

He further said that Himachal Pradesh earlier had only 277 postgraduate medical seats. The state government was now making efforts to increase the number by an additional 320 postgraduate seats. In this connection, Sukhu also sought cooperation from Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda.

The Chief Minister said the state had also started the first such college in North India where paramedical and allied courses were being conducted. The purpose of the college is to prepare trained technical human resources for the health sector.

In addition, efforts were being made to establish an Ayurvedic hospital on the lines of AIIMS, Sukhu said. He reiterated that strengthening the health system and providing modern treatment facilities to the people of Himachal Pradesh were among the state government’s major priorities.

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, Member of Parliament Harsh Mahajan, legislators Randhir Sharma, Jeet Ram Katwal and Trilok Jamwal, AIIMS Chairman N.K. Arora, Executive Director Lieutenant General Daljit Singh, Health Secretary Ashish Singhmar and other dignitaries were present at the occasion.