Himachal Pradesh Plans Rs 3,000 Crore Healthcare Upgrade With New Technology and Decentralized Powers
The Himachal Pradesh government has announced a major healthcare investment plan aimed at improving medical services across the state. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state will invest Rs 3,000 crore over the next three years to strengthen healthcare delivery and equip institutions with advanced medical technology.
Sukhu made the announcement while addressing the State-Level Health Dialogue Session in Shimla, held on a Saturday evening. During the event, he explained that healthcare upgrades will focus on both infrastructure improvements and smoother administration inside hospitals and health institutions.
A major part of the funding will come through the JICA Phase II project. Sukhu said Rs 1,300 crore will be spent under JICA Phase II to upgrade healthcare infrastructure across the state.
The Chief Minister said the goal is to equip health institutions with world-class medical technology, helping improve both treatment quality and patient care. He also stressed that strong health administration plays a major role in delivering quality healthcare.
Decentralizing Power for Faster Decisions
To improve efficiency, Sukhu announced that administrative and financial powers will be decentralized. Under the plan, Chief Medical Officers (CMO), Block Medical Officers (BMO), and Medical Superintendents (MS) will receive enhanced financial authority. He also said the government will introduce necessary changes to financial rules to make procedures simpler, faster, and more effective.
Sukhu added that financial and decision-making authority for sanitation arrangements in health institutions will be delegated to the concerned CMO.
He further announced the creation of dedicated funds for CMOs and MSs to handle urgent and essential hospital requirements. The intention is to ensure faster support for day-to-day needs without delays caused by long approval processes.
Doctors, Recruitment, and Transparency
In view of this, the Chief Minister mentioned that the government is thinking about increasing the pay of the residents. He further announced that recruitment for 236 doctors is in progress and an additional 150 posts have been approved already.
To enhance confidence in the recruitment process, Sukhu mentioned that the final merit list will consist of both written exam and interview marks for the purpose of achieving total transparency.
Model Health Institutions and New Equipment
Sukhu has claimed that the state government is going to set up model health institutions all over Himachal Pradesh in order to enhance the health care ecosystem even more. These institutions will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology that is at par with the best in the world.
He even declared that all medical devices that have been in use for more than 15 years will be disposed of and that this move will not only enhance patient care but also lighten the doctors’ burden. Besides, making sure that every model health institution has the facilities for an operating room is another major upgrade.
Security, Planning, and Construction Deadlines
The Chief Minister said security in health institutions will be strengthened through the Ex-Servicemen Corporation.
He also announced rationalization of primary health centres and delivery points based on defined parameters to improve efficiency and accessibility.
On infrastructure development, Sukhu directed that construction work for health institution buildings that are already more than 60 percent complete must be finished by March 31, 2026.
To maintain quality and consistency, he said medical equipment procurement will follow AIIMS specifications.