Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur has hailed the State Budget and termed it as progressive benefiting all the sections of the society.
Health Minister said that to strengthen the health services in the State various provisions had been made in the budget proposal as were promised in election manifesto. He hailed the decision for proposing an outlay of Rs. 1187 crore for strengthening health infrastructure so as to fulfil the commitment of the Government to provide better basic health services to the people of the State. He said that the decision to expand ‘Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna’ to cover additional beneficiaries by making a provision of Rs. 10 crore, was laudable.
The Minister welcomed the decision to provide free treatment to all school going children diagnosed with critical or cogenital illness under ‘Rashtriya Bal Swashthya Karyakaram’. This would not only address the health care needs of the large chunk young population but would help promoting better health for all.
Thakur said that by adding 59 additional ambulances to the existing fleet under ‘National Ambulance Services’ would be helpful in saving many precious lives in emergency situation or critical illness besides he hailed the decision of providing ambulance service on priority to drop back women who deliver newborns in Government health institutions. He welcomed the decision to provide free travel facility in HRTC buses along-with one attendant to facilitate the patients suffering from cancer and spinal injuries and those on dialysis.
Health Minister hailed the decision to construct a new multi-storeyed building complex having parking, diagnostic facilities, OPDs and doctors rooms in IGMC as it would be very helpful to provide better services to the patients. Realising the grave problem of drug addiction amongst the youth, the decision to open drug de-addiction centres in every district of the State was a welcome step. He also welcomed to launch mass awareness campaign in the educational institutions to make the youth aware of ill effects of drugs. He also welcomed the decision to start the system of web based licenses for drug manufacturers as well as retailers.
Minister said that as the State had bulk store of medicinal herbs the decision to educate farmers for propagation, cultivation and scientific extraction of herbs throughout the State would help them to adopt the avocation as means of livelihood and further improve their socio-economic status.
Kaul Singh Thakur lauded the decision of completing digitization of cadastral maps in Chamba, Sirmaur, Mandi and Hamirpur districts in coming financial year so as to facilitate the people to get digitized copy of map alongwith copy of the record of rights. Besides, land surveys through modern techniques in Kangra, Kinnaur, Shimla and Una districts would also be completed at a cost of Rs. 25 crore. He lauded the decision to start e-stamping system for collection of stamp duty in remaining three districts viz. Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba besides decision of replacing court fee stamp with electronically generated stamps as these measures would facilitate the decisions in getting registration of documents done seamlessly.
