Himachal CM launches state's first robotic surgery facility at government hospital in Chamiyana

Shimla, Aug 11 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday inaugurated the state's first robotic surgery facility at the Atal Institute of Medical Super Specialties (AIMSS) in Chamiyana on the outskirts of Shimla.

He witnessed the first surgery performed using advanced technology in the facility and announced Rs 23 crore for an in-house automated laboratory, Rs 11 crore for a hostel at Chamiyana.

Sukhu said a high-end 3-Tesla MRI machine will also be installed at the facility soon.

The robotic surgery equipment, comparable to that at AIIMS Delhi, will be used for 400 surgeries in the next six months, the government said in a statement.

A resident of Khalini in Shimla, suffering from a prostate ailment, became the first patient to undergo the procedure. Chamiyana has now become the first government health institution in the state to perform high-end robotic surgeries, it said.

Recalling his own robotic surgery five years ago, Sukhu said the facility would make cutting-edge medical care accessible to common people.

"Soon, robotic surgery services will be introduced in a phased manner in the IGMC Shimla, Nerchowk, Tanda, and Hamirpur Medical Colleges," he added.

The chief minister said the government was investing over Rs 3000 crore in modern healthcare technology, including replacing outdated machines, including the 20-year-old MRI at IGMC Shimla.

He also inaugurated a paperless lab at AIMSS, making it the first government hospital in the state to provide patients online access to reports.

The patients will receive all their reports on their mobile phones, while doctors will be able to access them directly on their systems, Sukhu said while lauding the efforts of the staff and asked to streamline the registration system and make it patient friendly.

Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil termed the initiative a revolutionary leap for the state's healthcare sector.

Consultant in the Urology Department Dr Kailash Bharwal said this is the beginning of a new era in the medical history of the state as Chamiyana hospital has become the first institution to conduct robotic surgery.

He said that robotic surgery enables precision, minimises blood loss, and speeds up recovery.

The advanced robotic arms filter out natural hand tremors, allowing for steady movements and improved accuracy near delicate cc structures, the statement said. PTI BPL OZ OZ