Lal Bahadur Shastri medical college opens in Mandi

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, August 31

Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur today dedicated Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Mandi to the public. He was accompanied by Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary and Panchayati Raj Minister Anil Sharma on the college premises, where the inauguration ceremony was held.

Inaugurating the medical college, the health minister said this was the fourth medical college in the state. A medical college would be opened in Chamba and next year in Hamirpur, which would increase the number of medical colleges in the state to six.

He said on February 23, 2009, the foundation stone of this college building was laid as ESIC Medical College and was inaugurated on March 5, 2014. Later, the ESIC authority expressed inability to run the medical college and then the state government took it under its control.

“With the start of the medical college today, the dream of the youth in Mandi and the residents of the state has come true and people will now get high-level health facilities near to the house” he remarked.

The Minister greeted all staff and students of the institute and said this medical college would register its name in the best institution of the state.

He said the state government had decided to open the University of Health Sciences and the legislation related to it had recently been passed by the Legislative Assembly. He said the university would be named Mahatma Gandhi Health Sciences University, Himachal Pradesh, and its headquarters would be established on the campus of Ner Chowk. He added that the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar for the university would be appointed soon.

“The status of Trauma Centre costing Rs 30 crore approved for Mandi district has been increased from level 2 to level-I and it will be established in Ner Chowk. The Cancer Care Centre, which will be built at a cost of Rs 45 crore, will also be set up on the campus. The college is equipped with modern equipment and machines, so that the students studying here will get high-level facilities to pursue their education” he added. The Minister said that within four to five years, the state government had set target to introduce postgraduate classes.

He said in the last four and a half years, the health sector had improved in the state. With the strengthening of health services, Himachal Pradesh becomes the only state in the country to spend Rs 26,000 per person annually on health care.

“The state government has launched the National Health Mission Scheme, the Chief Minister Health Security Scheme and now the Universal Health Protection Scheme for the survivors, under which Rs 1.75 lakh was provided to the eligible person for the treatment of critical illness” he added.

Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary said that due to the establishment of the centre of the state, the requirement of medical college in Mandi district was being felt for a long time and now with the opening of this college, better health facilities would be available to the people of the region. He appreciated the efforts of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur for this achievement.

Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma said now the people of the region would be able to avail better medical facility in the district. Principal of the College Dr DS Dhiman welcomed all guests and provided detailed information about the institute.

6 medical colleges soon

Inaugurating the medical college, Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said this was the fourth medical college in the state. This year, a medical college would be opened in Chamba and next year in Hamirpur, which would increase the number of medical colleges in the state to six.