Shimla, October 28
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while interacting with newly appointed Medical Officers and Medical Officers (Super Specialists) here today, directed the Health and Family Welfare Department to review the provisions of the PG/SS Policy to facilitate Job Trainee Medical Officers in pursuing postgraduate courses and to streamline the recruitment of Senior Residents/Tutor Specialists in medical colleges across Himachal Pradesh. He said that the state government had taken several initiatives to strengthen the medical education system, bring greater clarity to service matters and ensure the availability of qualified medical professionals in healthcare institutions across the state.
The Chief Minister directed the department to make necessary amendments to the PG/SS Policy to allow Job Trainee Medical Officers to pursue postgraduate courses, including PG (MD/MS) and PG (MDS), under the 66.6 percent quota reserved for in-service General Duty Officers (GDOs). He said that after completing their respective postgraduate courses, they would be required to serve the remaining period of their appointment as Job Trainees. He also directed that appropriate provisions be made for their salary and emoluments during the course period within the state.
Sukhu also directed the department to make provisions for appointing postgraduate doctors who have completed their qualifications from PGI, Chandigarh and AIIMS, New Delhi, against vacancies of Senior Residents/Tutor Specialists in the state’s medical colleges. Such appointments would be made on the basis of merit obtained in MBBS and postgraduate examinations, without a written test or interview, under the 33.33 percent quota reserved for direct candidates.
The Chief Minister said that the state government would introduce Geriatric Medicine Departments at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda in Kangra district. He further stated that Job Trainee Medical Officers would be entitled to all benefits available to GDOs from the date of their appointment. He assured them that the state government would sympathetically consider exempting Job Trainee Medical Officers from appearing again in tests for regularisation.
He said that strengthening medical education and improving healthcare services remained a top priority of the state government. He emphasised that transparent recruitment procedures, clear service conditions and adequate opportunities for qualified doctors were essential for building a robust healthcare system. He said that the government would continue to take necessary steps to strengthen medical colleges, improve the availability of specialist doctors and ensure access to quality medical care for people across the state.
Sukhu said that the state government was committed to provide world-class healthcare services to the common people. Several reforms had been undertaken during the last four years to achieve this objective. Robotic surgery had been introduced in four medical colleges of the state, enabling people to access advanced medical facilities within government institutions in Himachal Pradesh. He said that the state government was also sending doctors on overseas exposure visits to help them learn international best practices and adopt them in the state’s healthcare system.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil said that under the able leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state government was continuously working to improve healthcare services. He said that during the previous BJP government’s tenure, health institutions in the state were functioning with only 35 percent of their sanctioned staff strength, which had now increased to approximately 80 percent. He said that despite the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) and financial constraints, the state government was using its own resources to bring improvements in the healthcare sector.
MLA Sanjay Awasthy, Secretary Health Ashish Singhmar, Managing Director, National Health Mission, Pradeep Thakur, Director Health Services Dr. Gopal Berry and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.