Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inspected the ongoing construction at Hamirpur Medical College and reviewed plans for a new Cancer Care centre on February 27, according to an official release.
He announced that a modern cancer hospital along with nursing and dental colleges will be established within the Hamirpur Medical College complex, with the project estimated to cost around Rs 1,000 crore. The Chief Minister stated that the medical college’s development would bring quality healthcare services closer to local communities.
The Chief Minister further noted that the State Government is strengthening healthcare infrastructure across all medical colleges and major hospitals in Himachal Pradesh. Drawing inspiration from AIIMS Delhi, he said, “outdated machinery and equipment in health institutions across the state are being replaced with world-class technology and advanced medical facilities to provide better treatment services to the people in a phased manner.”
Himachal Pradesh records one of the highest cancer cases in the country after the north-eastern states, the Chief Minister said. He emphasised that the dedicated cancer hospital in Hamirpur would provide accessible and quality cancer care within the state, preventing the need for patients to travel outside Himachal Pradesh for advanced treatment.
The announcement highlighted that 11 new specialist departments have recently been approved by the State Government for the Hamirpur Cancer Hospital. These departments will cover cancer medicines (Medical Oncology), cancer surgeries (Surgical Oncology), pain relief and supportive care, nuclear medicine, anaesthesia and critical care, laboratory testing (Pathology), treatment for children with cancer, radiology and imaging, treatment for women’s cancers, stem cell and bone marrow transplants, and radiation therapy.
“With all these services available in one place within the state, cancer patients will not have to travel outside Himachal Pradesh for advanced treatment. This will help them save both time and money while receiving specialised care closer to home,” he remarked.
Emphasising the rising incidence of cancer cases, the Chief Minister underlined the urgent need for systematic screening, prevention, monitoring, recording, and timely diagnosis. For this purpose, the State Government has approved the establishment of a State Cancer Centre at Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur.
Since assuming office, the current State Government has taken significant steps to improve healthcare services in Himachal Pradesh, resulting in enhanced care for the population, he added.
Those present at the occasion included MLA Suresh Kumar, Captain Ranjit Singh, former MLA Anita Verma, Chairman Kangra Cooperative Primary Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ramchandra Pathania, Chairman Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Chairman APMC Hamirpur Ajay Sharma, District Congress President Suman Bharti, Congress leaders Dr Pushpinder Verma, Subhash Dhatwalia, Rubal Thakur, Secretaries M Sudha Devi and Ashish Singhmar, Deputy Commissioner Gandharva Rathore, SP Balbir Singh, along with other dignitaries, the release stated.
Original source: in