The Central Government has planned to invest heavily in Chhattisgarh for improving health services in the State, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Sunday.
The Minister announced of establishing various key hospitals including two medical colleges in the State.
Nadda was in Raipur to inaugurate the ‘leprosy Eradication Programme ‘Sparsh 2015’ launched by the State Government.
He announced that two new medical colleges will be opened in Rajnandgaon and Surguja districts.
The district hospitals in Rajnandgaon and Surguja will be upgraded into medical colleges. We have already sanctioned `14 crore for starting medical colleges, Nadda told reporters.
Replying to query over lack of advanced medical facilities in insurgency-hit regions particularly Bastar, due to which seriously injured jawans or locals after any major Naxal attack have to be rushed to Raipur for better treatment, the Union Minister said that his Ministry was considering the proposal for opening of an advanced Hospital in Bastar.
“We have received the proposal for upgrading one of the existing hospital into an Advanced Treatment Center and are also exploring the option of opening a totally new facility,” he said.
He further informed that a special Cancer Institute will be opened at Bilaspur. “The State Cancer Institute will be established in Bilaspur and for this purpose, budget of `150 crore will be provided by the Central government,” he said adding, out of the total budget sanctioned, `20 crore will be provided by the State Government.
Apart from the State Cancer Institute, a Tertiary Cancer Care Center (TCCC) will be opened in partnership with South Eastern Coalfields limited (SECl) at Manendragarh in Koriya district, he informed.
For opening of TCCC fund of `45 crore have been sanctioned, he said. According to Minister, faculty and facilities at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur are being upgraded.
AIIMS Raipur has been asked to conduct research on Sickle Cell problem in the State, he said. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for opening a super specialty hospital in Raipur will be also prepared soon so that accordingly it could be included in the next five year plan, he said.