Punjab Budget Will Further Bolster Healthcare Facility In State : Dr Balbir Singh

Chandigarh : Terming the Punjab Budget 2023-24 presented by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema as remarkable for healthcare sector in the state on Friday, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said that the budgetary provision of ₹4,781 crores for Health will ensure that basic health facilities, medicines, diagnostics reach every section of the society.

He said that to further strengthen the quality healthcare services in the state, Rs 1015 crores for Medical Education and Research have also been allocated in the Budget, which will help in producing capable doctors, nurses and medical staff.

“Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government is working overtime to strengthen health systems in the State. We believe that Punjab, only with a healthy population can experience sustained growth,” he said.

Dr Balbir Singh, while acknowledging the fact that there is a dearth in staff, said that to meet the shortage of staff in the medical institutes, 880 Staff Nurses and 81 Para Medical Staff have been recruited. Also, under the new policy for appointment of Senior Residents, 300 specialist doctors have been appointed in Government Medical Colleges, he said.

Similarly, for smooth functioning of health institutions, as many as 1,353 medical staff have been recruited in FY 2022-23 under various categories of which 271 are Specialist Medical Officers, three Pharmacy Officers, 53 Staff Nurses, 520 Multi-Purpose Health Workers, 480 Ward Attendants, etc, he added.

“To ensure basic health facilities including availability of doctors, medicines and testing facilities in every government hospital is my topmost priority,” he said, while adding that hospital buildings in the state are also being revamped at full pace.

He said that to strengthen all the secondary health care institutions – Community Health Centres, Sub-Divisional Hospitals and District Hospitals in the State under a special project, a special recruitment drive would be carried out to fill the 363 vacant posts of Medical Officers (Specialist) and 470 posts of Medical Officer (General).

The Health Minister informed that against the initial target of establishing 117 Aam Aadmi Clinics, the CM Mann led Government has already established 504 Aam Aadmi Clinics, while, another 142 clinics are expected to be operational in next few days.

In these clinics, 80 drugs and 41 diagnostic tests are being provided free of cost and so far, more than 20 lakh patients have availed OPD facilities in these clinics.

Meanwhile, two new Medical Colleges of 100 MBBS seats each at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur are being set up at a cost of ₹422 crore and ₹412 crore respectively, while, State Cancer Institute for cancer patients at Government Medical College, Amritsar worth ₹119 crore and Cancer Care Center at Fazilka worth ₹46 crore are expected to start soon.

Trauma Centre at Government Medical College, Amritsar and at Rajendra Hospital, Patiala with cost of ₹100 crore and a new Nursing College at village Thikriwal, district Barnala has also been proposed in the budget.