Shimla: The state health department will complete the procurement of CT scan, ultrasound, X-ray, phaco machines, and other equipment by the end of August, health and family welfare minister Col Dhani Ram Shandil (retd) said on Wednesday.Medical colleges, Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans, and other health institutions will soon be equipped with modern-day machines to ensure quality healthcare services, the minister added.Chairing a special high-power purchase committee meeting, Shandil said the govt had decided that quality items would be added to the baby care kits, and a total of 18 items would be provided to the babies born in govt and private institutions in the state. The process for procurement of these kits is in the final stage and will be available in hospitals from next month, he said.Emphasising that the state govt has ensured an adequate budget for the purchase of healthcare machinery, the minister directed the purchase committee to fast-track the procurement process to ensure that in future all the purchases were completed as early as possible.The govt is also ensuring complete transparency and accountability in the entire procurement process, Shandil added.The health minister said earlier the people of Himachal Pradesh had to visit neighbouring states in search of better healthcare. We had qualified and specialist doctors as well as the staff, but our medical equipment was outdated, he pointed out.“Once the purchases are finalised, the state-run medical institutions will offer equal and even better health services at the doorstep for its people,” said Shandil.A total of 69 Adarsh Swasthya Sansthans, one in every assembly constituency and two in the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district, have been made functional. Every sansthan has six specialist doctors, and with the procurement of the modern-day machines, these institutions will serve as a model of healthcare for other states to follow, he added.
