Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday inaugurated an MRI machine in Champawat and announced a series of healthcare infrastructure projects worth over ₹40 crore aimed at strengthening medical facilities in the border district and nearby hill regions.
The MRI machine, installed at a cost of nearly ₹6 crore under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support from the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, is expected to significantly improve access to advanced diagnostic services for residents of Champawat and neighbouring districts.
Addressing a public programme in Champawat, the CM said a healthy Uttarakhand was the foundation of a strong, self-reliant and developed state. He said the government was focusing not only on construction of hospitals but also on equipping them with modern medical technology, trained personnel and quality healthcare services.
Dhami said the MRI facility would benefit lakhs of people from Champawat, Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital and other adjoining border areas, who earlier had to travel to Haldwani and larger cities for complex diagnostic procedures.
“Serious patients had to spend considerable time, money and effort travelling outside the district for MRI scans. Now advanced investigations related to brain, spine, nerves, joints, cancer and stroke will be available locally,” the Chief Minister said.
The CM also reviewed ongoing healthcare infrastructure projects in the district. He said a 50-bed critical care block was being constructed at Champawat district hospital at a cost of around ₹20 crore. In addition, a modern diagnostic wing, operation theatre and parking facility are being developed at the hospital at a cost of ₹11.71 crore.
Dhami said the government was also strengthening healthcare education and manpower. A 129-bed hostel for the Integrated Nursing Institute has been completed at a cost of ₹4.7 crore, while work towards establishing a new paramedical college in Champawat is progressing rapidly.
He added that schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand were ensuring free and cashless treatment for lakhs of families across the state.
