The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, recently laid the foundation stone for the first positron emission tomography (PET) scan block at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Hospital in Shimla. The PET scan block will be a three-story building with modern amenities for patients, doctors, and paramedical staff, as well as parking space for about 50 vehicles. The block will be constructed at a cost of Rs 45.68 crore.
Currently, patients in the state have to travel to Chandigarh or Delhi for a PET scan, which can be very expensive. Once the PET block is completed, it will facilitate the detection of cancer, response and follow-up, and will be helpful to cardiology, psychiatry, urology, and other departments. The government will spend Rs 21 crore for a single positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography (CT) machine, Rs 9 crore for photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) CT machine, and Rs 15.68 crore for civil works.
The Chief Minister stated that the government aims to establish PET scan facilities in all medical colleges in the state within a year and has allocated Rs 400 crore for the Centre of Excellence for Cancer Care in Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College in Hamirpur. The government has accorded top priority to the health sector and efforts are being made to provide world-class medical facilities by eliminating the referral system in government hospitals.
The state government has made special provisions for the health sector in the budget, including the establishment of a Department of Medical Emergency in all medical colleges so that people do not face any inconvenience in getting prompt treatment. This department will have one staff nurse per bed in the ICU, one staff nurse per three beds in the casualty ward, and one doctor for every 10 beds, with duty limited to eight hours. The government has also allocated Rs 11 crore to set up a 175-bed medical emergency facility with a trauma centre at the IGMC Hospital in Shimla.
