Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh alongwith Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur on Wednesday launched six new health schemes, including an electronic health card scheme, a scheme for free insulin for diabetic patients below 18 years of age under universal immunisation programme, here.
This launch has made Himachal Pradesh the first such state in South East Asia region to launch it.Singh and Thakur also launched HP Universal Health Protection Scheme, a health bulletin brochure, a scheme for free treatment of Hemophilic patients and introduction to ‘Measles Rubella (MR) campaign. The health card could be downloaded from google app by the name ‘HealthCardHP’. They also laid online foundation stone of special ward block of Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla to have 32 wards.
"I am always of the opinion that whatever is to be done should be qualitative time-bound and be done on priority", said Virbhadra Singh while addressing the gathering, adding that may it be expansion of health infrastructure, education, roads, etc. He said in the present tenure of State government, four new medical colleges were got sanctioned for the State.
He said that the government had got constructed well planned and well managed schools, college buildings and offices all over the state including old age homes and orphanages. He congratulated for the quality work undertaken by state government construction agencies. He said that whatever the Government thinks of doing was accomplished and one needs to work with a strong will power.
Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said that the schemes launched would go far beyond in strengthening the health services in the state. He said that the Himachal had become the first state in South East Asia to launch electronic health cards. He said that there were few lakh people who were not covered under any scheme had now been brought under the ambit of Universal Heath Scheme and would be benefited by schemes launched today. He said that the screening scheme for patients of non-communicable disease has also been launched in the State.
"It is our priority to provide quality health services to the people of the state and the aim of the government was to strengthen the health infrastructure in rural and far flung areas," he said.
The Minister said that dialysis facility for diabetic patients had been started in Zonal hospitals (ZHs) of four district initially, and phase wise the facility would be extended to all the ZH's in the State. He said efforts were afoot to provide 300 different type of life saving medicines to people of the state free of cost in all Community, Primary and health sub centres. Our target was to bring the infant mortality rate down to 25/1000 per year which now was 28/1000 per year, he said. He thanked the Chief Minister for sanctioning 2000 posts of para-medical staff in Health department in the Cabinet.