Himachal govt plans Rs 2,835-cr collaboration with JICA for health sector

Himachal Pradesh plans to collaborate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency for a financial assistance of Rs 2,835 cr to strengthen health infrastructure, a state government statement said

Himachal Pradesh plans to collaborate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency for a financial assistance of Rs 2,835 crore to strengthen health infrastructure, a state government statement said on Friday.

The Health department is working on a preliminary project report for detailed discussions with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), it added.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has placed the health sector as one of his flagship programmes. He is prioritising strengthening healthcare facilities to extend the best medical services to citizens.

Of the total funding, the state government proposes to allocate Rs 1,620 crore towards tertiary care infrastructure.

This includes strengthening new medical colleges in Hamirpur, Chamba and Nahan with a proposed outlay of Rs 1,010 crore, a state government spokesperson said.

Additionally, Rs 400 crore is proposed to be spent on developing super-speciality services for cancer treatment at the medical college in Hamirpur.

The government is also to allocate Rs 60 crore for nursing education infrastructure and developing high-end diagnostic capacity at the new medical colleges.

The remaining Rs 1,215 crore of the JICA funding is proposed to be allocated to enhance secondary care facilities.

This includes Rs 988 crore for infrastructure development and equipment in select facilities, including at civil hospitals per medical block.

Rs 135 crore is proposed for need-based strengthening of secondary care facilities and Rs 92 crore for repair and maintenance, strengthening diagnostics, power backup and Hospital Management Information System at the remaining civil hospitals and community health centres.

"The state government is committed to providing world-class healthcare facilities to the people of the state at their doorstep, particularly in the tribal and far-flung areas," Sukhu said, adding that "our goal is to introduce modern technology in the health sector and there will be no shortage of funds for this vital sector".

The state government also plans to introduce 5G technology in state health institutions for enhanced digital connectivity to facilitate online consultations.