Himachal CM Sukhu Directs Health Department To Ensure Zero Diagnostic Waiting Time

Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has instructed the state health department to completely eliminate waiting periods for essential diagnostic services, including CT scans, ultrasounds, and X-rays. Speaking at a high-level review meeting,

the Chief Minister emphasized that government medical facilities must prioritize swift, hassle-free healthcare, ensuring patients are no longer subjected to prolonged delays for critical test reports.  

Presiding over a joint session with the diagnostic divisions of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and the Super Speciality Hospital in Chamiyana, Sukhu sought direct inputs from medical professionals to optimize hospital workflows.

He reiterated that providing immediate diagnostic testing is vital to improving overall public healthcare delivery across the hill state.  To achieve this ambitious "zero waiting time" milestone, the state government is fast-tracking the recruitment of specialized medical, paramedical, and technical personnel to fill vacant positions. Concurrently, an extensive modernization drive is underway.

Responding directly to a pressing requirement highlighted by IGMC clinicians, the Chief Minister approved the immediate procurement of a state-of-the-art 256-slice CT scan machine.  Furthermore, Sukhu revealed that the state has earmarked a substantial outlay of ₹3,000 crore to upgrade technological infrastructure across government medical colleges, alongside zonal, district, and civil hospitals.

The objective is to establish diagnostic capacities on par with premier national institutions like AIIMS, New Delhi.  "Health and education remain our highest budgetary priorities. We are equipping our centers with cutting-edge machinery so that our citizens never have to travel outside Himachal Pradesh for advanced medical care," Sukhu stated. By deploying AIIMS-level infrastructure locally, the state intends to drastically reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses and travel burdens for rural patients.